Jemele Hill has made major headlines over the past few months. It appears Hill and former ESPN host Britt McHenry are in a contest to see who can make the most incendiary comments about sports, culture, race and religion or any other hot button topic. Hill recently announced she was leaving SC6 with co-host Michael Smith for The Undefeated:
As this column wrote in October when it predicted Hill’s tenure as the co-host of the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter would end, Hill’s departure from SportsCenter will not be a shock to those in Bristol. ESPN management clearly has limits to the speech it will allow from front-facing talent on social media, particularly those representing the SportsCenter brand, and Hill likely did not feel her show had management’s unwavering support given the events of 2017.
As I wrote then, the SportsCenter that Hill and co-host Michael Smith envisioned—one that included the elements that made their chemistry honest and unique on the ESPN2 show His and Hers and their co-hosted podcasts—had slowly been chopped away at by the addition of segments you see on traditional SportsCenter shows. Those included interviews with reporters in the field and blocks that feature the kind of short, bite-sized takes viewers get on shows such as Around The Horn. Multiple people told me in October that there was an effort to bring in ESPN talent as guests with opinions contrary to the hosts. That also comes with change in the executive branch on those overseeing SportsCenter.
Hill’s departure is really a surprise to no one. She made headlines a few months ago after she referred to President Trump as a “white supremacist” on Twitter. She was later suspended by ESPN in October after suggesting fans should boycott Dallas Cowboys advertisers after Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones vowed to bench players who did not stand for the flag. Hill was re-instated a few weeks later but it was only a matter of time before she and ESPN parted ways.
By waiting months to leave it does not look like her exit was race-related or that it was tied to comments about Trump or Jones. However, ESPN made a big marketing push for SC6 with Hill and Smith. It also made it the linchpin of the new direction the network was going in. Shows about sports and culture was expected to revive ESPN’s sagging ratings and free fall in subscribers. It now needs to move beyond the Hill fiasco. That said, The Undefeated is a fine news outlet that should give Hill more leeway to talk about race, sports and culture.
Actor Chad L. Coleman will host Trump And The Global Economy February 6, 2018 in Brooklyn.
The panel will include Christopher Townley (land baron), Reverend Conrad Tillard (activist, WHCR 90.3 FM), Wuyi Jacobs (AfrobeatRadio) and Ralph Baker, author of Shock Exchange: How Inner-City Kids From Brooklyn Predicted the Great Recession and the Pain Ahead. The event will take place at South Oxford Space in Fort Greene, Brooklyn from 6PM – 8PM. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Come early and bring friends.
Coleman is best known for his breakout role as Tyreese in The Walking Dead and Dennis ‘Cutty’ Wise in The Wire. He currently recurs on Syfy’s The Expanse and will star in Lifetime’s upcoming biopic Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland set to premiere May 29.
According to Ralph Baker who Helped found the event, “We are excited to work with Chad to help spread the word about Trump And The Global Economy. These are trying times we live in and the community is dependent on artists like Mr. Coleman to continue to tell our stories through their music, film, plays, books, etc. Brooklyn has a Rich, vibrant, art community. We would love for the art world and the broader community come out to network and take in what the panel has to say.”
The town hall brings together a cross-section of individuals to discuss everything from President Trump’s policies on economics, immigration, and foreign affairs, to what his election says about America. Individuals on the front lines will bring you real information about the Trump administration that impacts the community.
The most recent Trump And The Global Economy town hall took place October 24th in Fort Greene. It Featured Professor Lance Brofman, Coconut Rob (Coconut Rob Smoothies), Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Baker. The event was well-received by the community. We parsed through President Trump’s proposed tax plan and high net worth individuals could potentially game the system by shifting income around. We discussed the pros and cons of technology on workers and the economy. How will the economy and country prosper under Trump’s leadership? What’s behind the verbal sparring with black athletes, ESPN’s Jemele Hill and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un?
The June 27 2017 event included Mr. Tillard, John McLaughin, who did the polling for President Donald Trump during his presidential election, Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Baker. Trump And The Global Economy is a quarterly event and is fast becoming the “must see” event in Brooklyn.
Live Stream Available February 6, 2018 At 6PM
Live stream for the February event is below. The live stream will be active February 6th at 6PM.
