If you’re fans of Jemele Hill and Cari Champion, you may be surprised to learn that they weren’t always such close friends. The duo that co-hosts VICE’s addictive series, Stick to Sports, took their talents to Red Table Talk and reveal there were some serious attempts to keep them apart when they both worked at ESPN.
Now, the duo is sitting down with Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield Norris, and Willow Smith to drop some knowledge on the real reasons Black women don’t always support each other.
Aside from the constant criticism Black women face from the outside world, they’re also constantly in competition with each other when it comes to the workplace. The notion that there’s usually only room for one successful Black woman at a time often gives way to rivalry and contempt instead of support and friendship.
Champion reveals that Hill was adamant about them sticking together despite numerous efforts to pit them against each other.
“The job was really hard. I felt very lonely, I felt afraid, I didn’t have any friends. I felt like no one liked me,” Champion explains. “She went out of her way to be kind to me.”
Hill explains why she decided to forge a friendship with a woman who should have been a competitor.
“As it is, it’s hard enough once we get into that room, once we get into that position, we’re bringing a whole bunch of battles with us,” explains Hill. “What do I look like with this woman who has come to ESPN…being her enemy?”
Read More: Jemele Hill weighs in on DeSean Jackson, says Black people can be ‘culturally arrogant’
The ladies also tackled the controversy surrounding Megan Thee Stallion, and break down the problem of “performative sisterhood” in our community. Pinkett Smith reveals that she has had trouble with her own female friendships in the past and reveals the truth about a betrayal that had a huge impact.
The new episode of Red Table Talk premieres October 27 on Facebook Watch.
Check out the exclusive clip:
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