Who is Marc Lamont Hill? Journalist's personal life explored as he addresses video of getting pepper-sprayed by a woman

Marc Lamont Hill, who is an author and activist, has recently addressed the viral video from last year where he is shown getting attacked on stage with pepper spray. According to Complex, the former CNN contributor brought up the topic on The Joe Budden podcast, where he confirmed that he was indeed pepper-sprayed by a woman during an event in Philadelphia.

In the video, Marc Lamont Hill is seen delivering a speech during a question-and-answer session while sitting on a stage. The unnamed woman is seen approaching the stage, with her hands in her pockets, while pretending to ask a question. Suddenly, she is seen pulling out her hands from her pockets while holding a pepper spray and using it on him, while others rush to restrain her.

More about Marc Lamont Hill and his family, as activist talks about attack from last year

Marc Lamont Hill was born on December 17, 1978, and was raised in Philadelphia by his parents. According to Media Bistro, he initially attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, but later dropped out. He then enrolled at Temple University, where he graduated with a degree in education and Spanish. He later completed his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Marc Lamont Hill started his career as a professor. He taught Education at the Teachers College at Columbia University, having previously taught at Temple University. In 2014, he joined Morehouse College as the Distinguished Professor of African American Studies, where he taught for three years before joining Lew Klein College of Media and Communications at Temple University in Philadelphia. In 2023, he joined CUNY Graduate Center, where he continues to teach postgraduate students.

Hill, who has worked with MSNC, CNN, FOX News as a commentator on various socio-political issues, spoke in a 2014 interview with Media Bistro about how he processed criticism as a public figure who discussed a wide range of topics. He said,

"If you're going to be in the public eye, you're going to get beat up. But, if your goal is freedom or justice or moving the ball forward, that's the price you pay. It's about shaking off the mean-spirited stuff and really listening to what people are saying, because even if you ultimately don't agree with the critique, you still can understand where people are coming from. Just because somebody says it from the opposite side doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Graduate Center."

Marc Lamont Hill is also a renowned author who has written several books on race, identity and state violence. He joined The Joe Budden podcast as a co-host in 2024, and in the episode uploaded on Thursday, the hosts can be seen discussing Marc Lamont Hill's 2024 attack. Hill confirmed that he had not called the police and added that the woman had been stalking him for some time. He said,

"I was mad as shit. Sued? You can hear me on the tape say, ‘Do not call the police. I walk it like I talk it. She was mentally ill. She had been stalking me for a couple of weeks, and I didn’t know … I never met her before.”

He added,

"None of this is true. She was crazy as f*ck. I was standing there, giving a speech… She stands up for a Q&A. She had written a letter to me, saying that she was trying to talk to me about how the CIA and Joe Biden were trying to frame her for murder.”

Marc Lamont Hill went on,

"It started clicking who she was. I’m looking at security … She was like, ‘I just want to talk about what happened to me.’ And I was like, ‘I just want to be clear that I’ve never met you before.’ [She said], ‘You don’t know me, Marc? You don’t know me, Marc?’ She starts coming toward me. I said, ‘I need you to stop walking’ … I’m sitting in the chair … I’m thinking she’s reaching for a gun. I’m thinking, ‘If she’s about to shoot me, this is a really terrible way to die.’”

Marc Lamont Hill, who is married to Melissa M. Valle, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, posted a sweet tribute to her in celebration of her birthday a few days back. According to Essence Magazine, the couple are parents to a son, Malcolm Kamau Valle-Hill, who was born in 2022.

Marc Lamont Hill is also the recipient of multiple awards, like the Esteemed Social Justice in Education Award, which he received in 2023, and a recognition from the National Association of Black Journalists, among others.

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