Stephen A. Smith accuses NABJ of ‘personal hit job’: ‘Folks are scared’

After the National Association of Black Journalists accused Stephen A. Smith of disparaging Black women, Stephen A. Smith is accusing the NABJ of conducting a personal hit job.

Smith received the “Thumbs Down” award at the NABJ’s Saturday night gala in Atlanta, an dishonor given to individuals or institutions conducting “especially insensitive, racist or stereotypical reporting, commentary, photography or cartooning about the Black community or for engaging in practices at odds with the goals of NABJ.”

With the “Thumbs Down” award typically being reserved for institutions, Smith, who brought First Take to the NABJ convention in 2024, is just the fourth individual to win the organization’s biggest dishonor.

“Smith has established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media,” the organization explained Saturday. “Such commentary reinforces harmful narratives, undermines the fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse, and stands in direct conflict with NABJ’s longstanding commitment to accurate, responsible, and inclusive portrayals of Black communities.”

Despite the pointed insult, the ESPN star and newfound political pundit still credited the NABJ for helping his career, calling it the “preeminent Black journalism organization existing.” But Smith was blindsided by winning the award, and if the NABJ and its president Errin Haines sought to catch his attention, they succeeded. Smith responded Monday afternoon with a 45-minute retort on his YouTube channel.

“I’ve received a lot of insults in my day, that might be the lowest,” Smith said, pointing specifically to the NABJ accusing him of being disparaging to Black women.

In the last year, Smith has notably criticized Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Cari Champion, Jemele Hill, and Jasmine Crockett, all of whom are Black women. Last year, NABJ member Joy Reid even accused Smith of denigrating Black women for “white people’s entertainment.”

During his rebuttal to the NABJ, Smith acknowledged some of his public criticisms, excusing most of them by noting he later had a two-hour private meeting with Kamala Harris, publicly apologized to Serena Williams, and platformed Cari Champion and Jemele Hill on First Take earlier in their careers. Smith has shown a willingness to call out Black women, but he pushed back on the notion of them being calculated attacks.

“Where are these disparaging remarks about Black women,” Smith asked. “I have been surrounded by Black female excellence all my life.”

Smith went on to note he has two daughters, four older sisters, 10 nieces, and called losing his mother the most “devastating” loss of his life. He also pointed to having six Black women who work for him, including his financial advisor and lawyer, attempting to use that as further proof he does not disparage Black women.

“It was a personal hit job,” Smith insisted of the Thumbs Down award, claiming personal attacks don’t usually phase him. “This is a journalism organization that didn’t engage in journalism when it came to critiquing me. ‘Disparaging Black women’ is a very incendiary thing to say. If you felt that adamant about it, President Haines, how come I didn’t get a call? How come the NABJ never reached out to me to have a conversation? And you would go on stage, Ms. Haines, and accuse me of disparaging Black women with no evidence, just your feelings.”

Since entering the political realm with his YouTube channel and SirisuXM Radio show on POTUS, Smith has been criticized for platforming MAGA propaganda. And while he admits to aligning with conservatives on certain issues, Smith believes it’s his criticisms of the Democratic Party that earned him this award.

“This is shameful. But it’s okay, because ladies and gentlemen, I understand what’s going on,” Smith claimed. “Folks are scared. I talk too much, and I don’t speak glowingly enough about the Democratic Party. This is political.”

Smith didn’t believe the insult was an indictment of the NABJ, noting he plans to continue supporting the organization. But Smith believed the dishonor should falls specifically on the few board members who gave him the Thumbs Down award.

“It was wrong, it was grossly unfair,” Smith said. “This was a smear job, but it won’t stop me. It’s not gonna stop me from listening and learning and striving to get better and be better.”