Grambling State University has announced award-winning journalist and author Jemele Hill as its Fall 2025 commencement speaker, bringing one of the nation’s most influential voices in sports, culture, and media to address graduates on December 5 at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. Hill, known for her incisive commentary and commitment to truth-telling across platforms from ESPN to The Atlantic, is expected to deliver an empowering message that reflects both her trailblazing career and the resilient spirit of Grambling State’s newest alumni.
Jemele Hill's distinguished journalism career is marked by more than two decades of professional experience. Following her graduation from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism in 1997, she launched her career as a general assignment sportswriter at the Raleigh News & Observer. She subsequently served as a sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press for six years. Hill's transition to a national stage began in 2006 when she joined ESPN as a national columnist, where she regularly contributed to and appeared on the network's most prominent programs, including SportsCenter, ESPN First Take, Outside the Lines, and The Sports Reporter.
Hill further solidified her role as a prominent on-screen personality alongside Michael Smith when they launched their popular podcast, His & Hers, in 2011. The success of the podcast led ESPN to integrate it into its television lineup years later. Following the conclusion of His & Hers in 2017, Hill and Smith transitioned to become evening anchors for ESPN’s flagship news program, SportsCenter, heading the special iteration known as SC6 with Michael and Jemele.
In 2018, Hill refocused on written journalism, accepting a position as a staff writer for The Atlantic. Demonstrating her versatility, she subsequently launched the award-winning podcast Jemele Hill is Unbothered in 2019, where she explores politics, culture, and sports. The podcast’s achievements include two Webby Awards and two NAACP Awards, and it has hosted an impressive list of guests, including figures like former Vice President Kamala Harris, Issa Rae, Ava Duvernay, Chelsea Clinton, and Stephen Colbert. Further diversifying her content, Hill collaborated with Van Lathan in 2020 to create The Wire: Way Down in the Hole, a dedicated recap podcast for the HBO series The Wire.
Beyond her established work as a writer and commentator, Hill is also a successful author and executive producer. In 2022, she released her highly anticipated memoir, UPHILL: A Memoir, which chronicles her personal journey and professional evolution. That same year, she undertook an executive producer role for a Colin Kaepernick documentary originally slated for ESPN; however, the project ultimately did not air on the network due to reported “creative differences.”
The 2025 Grambling State University Fall Commencement Ceremony will take place Friday, December 5, 2025, at 10 am CST.
