Jemele Hill's world came crashing down when she called President Trump a "white supremacist"; the White House wanted her fired from ESPN, and she was deluged with death threats. But Hill had faced tougher adversaries growing up in Detroit than a tweeting president. She shares the whole story of her work, the women of her family, and her complicated relationship with God in this memoir.
Hill is a skilled writer with a sharp eye for salient details and a master of sharp turns of phrase. She possesses great aptitude for in-depth character development and analysis. Powering these refined skills is a gregarious spirit and genuine wisdom. The effect is instant trust between her and her readers, which is essential for any memoir, and assurance that what is being told is the unvarnished truth ... shot through with witticisms, hilarious anecdotes and zany encounters. And she refuses to sugar-coat what it took to work her way up as a Black woman in the fiercely competitive, predominantly white and male world of sports journalism. But with its compelling stories--the 'inside baseball' from a long career in sports media, told with great candor, thoughtful soul-searching and a sense of humor--Uphill brings insight and laughter to nearly every page.
Written in insistent prose, the remainder of this memoir is concerned with how to speak the truth, regardless of backlash ... She narrates her career trajectory just as fearlessly, using this book as an opportunity to respond to a backward office culture wherein Black women are treated as 'disposable,' shut out from the highest echelons of sports media ... With a skilled hand, Hill captures the nuances of workplace discrimination and its toll while also providing a guide for others — especially women of color — to persevere.
Frank and direct ... Brave, incisive, and uncompromising, Hill...will inspire women, especially women of color, to challenge sexism and racism in every realm.
