*ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is fighting back after the National Association of Black Journalists accused him of a “recurring public pattern” of disparaging prominent Black women — and he took his defense to Fox News, telling Sean Hannity that NABJ‘s central allegation against him is simply untrue.
“I find it highly offensive that they would label me in this way — give me a Thumbs Down Award specifically for disparaging Black women,” Smith said during his appearance on “Hannity.” “I want everybody out there to know there’s no such thing. That is a flat-out lie, and that never happened.”
NABJ presented Smith with its Thumbs Down Award during its 2026 Convention & Career Fair in Atlanta. The organization said the distinction calls attention to conduct that harms Black journalists, weakens newsroom equity or reinforces damaging portrayals of Black people.
Smith was specifically cited for commentary involving prominent Black women across politics, sports and media.
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Smith Says Disagreement Isn’t Disparagement
Smith’s argument is straightforward: He has criticized Black women, but he says criticism of someone’s position should not automatically be characterized as an attack on Black women.
“Whether it was Jasmine Crockett, whether it was Kamala Harris, whether it was Michelle Obama, I pointed to something that they said that I may have disagreed with,” he told Hannity.
Smith specifically revisited comments he made about former first lady Michelle Obama during the 2024 presidential campaign. He said he objected to her argument that supporting Donald Trump amounted to voting against women because voters can have numerous reasons for their choices.
“My point is, whether you agree or disagree, how does the word ‘disparaging’ come into play, or to talk about me degrading and denigrating Black women?” Smith said. “No! I had a difference of opinion about something they may have said.”
Smith also pointed to his own family, saying he was raised by his mother and four older sisters.
NABJ Says There’s a Pattern
NABJ sees the issue differently.
The organization said Smith’s commentary “reinforces harmful narratives” and undermines fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse. NABJ President Errin Haines described the Thumbs Down distinction as more than an insult, framing it as a call for accountability and improvement.
Before appearing on Fox, Smith had already begun responding publicly.
He wrote on X that NABJ had taken its turn and that his was coming, later using his own YouTube platform to call the award a “personal hit job.” He argued that the journalism organization had failed to practice journalism by not contacting him before making such a serious assessment of his record.
“This is different,” Smith said on his show. “This is a journalism organization that didn’t engage in journalism when it came to critiquing me.”
Smith Points to His History with NABJ
Part of Smith’s anger comes from what he says he has done to support the organization.
He noted that he attended NABJ’s previous two conventions and brought ESPN’s “First Take” to the gatherings.
“When have you seen a nationally televised show broadcasting live from a journalism convention?” Smith asked Hannity. “I did it the last two years.”
There’s also disagreement about what happened when Smith sought to engage Haines after receiving the award.
Smith said the NABJ president declined his invitation to publicly discuss the dispute. NABJ, however, said Haines proposed beginning with a private conversation focused on listening and accountability, with the possibility of public engagement afterward. The organization said she never ruled out a future public discussion.
The Fight Isn’t Cooling Down
The venue for Smith’s latest response adds another layer to an already complicated dispute. He chose “Hannity,” one of Fox News’ most prominent opinion programs, to challenge a Black journalism organization that says its criticism is about accountability.
But appearing on Fox doesn’t settle the underlying question.
NABJ says it identified a pattern in how Smith has spoken about Black women. Smith says the organization has mislabeled political and professional disagreements as something more sinister.
And despite the temperature of the exchange, NABJ says it remains open to meaningful engagement with this year’s Thumbs Down recipients.
Smith, meanwhile, has made one thing unmistakably clear: he’s not accepting the award quietly. What began with a thumbs down in Atlanta has become a very public argument over criticism, accountability and who gets to draw the line between the two.
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