NBA legend, team owner, author, and broadcaster Grant Hill will serve as the spring 2023 commencement speaker at Fisk University.

The university said that Hill’s impressive career and charitable contributions embody the spirit of perseverance and commitment to community that aligns with Fisk’s legacy of social justice.

“Fisk’s contributions to the fabric of American life are unparalleled and the future looks exciting,” said Hill. “I look forward to meeting the outstanding students and am honored to serve as this year’s commencement speaker.” 

Hill is a seven-time NBA All-Star with a commendable 19-year playing career and a successful business portfolio that includes real estate, sports broadcasting, and private equity.

His many ventures span everything from sports broadcasting to real estate and the launch of a private equity mezzanine fund, Penta Capital.

From his time at Duke University, Hill has been a global household name and his competitiveness, perseverance, and commitment to community and family has served as an inspiration to many.

Hill is married to six-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tamia and they are the loving parents of two daughters. Together, they created the Grant Hill and Tamia Foundation where they continue to be recognized for their philanthropic leadership. Through their foundation, they have donated their time and money to charities, schools, scholarships, non-profit organizations, and churches. Most of their donations support children’s and educational charities.

Hill and Tamia also established the Grant and Tamia Hill Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund at the Duke University in Durham, North Carolina to provide financial aid for a Duke basketball player each year.

A charitable servant, Grant also donated all his proceeds from the sale of his book Change the Game to two homeless children’s organizations, The Covenant House in New Orleans and YWCA/Coalition for Homeless Children & Families of Greater Baltimore.

Finally, Grant is one of the world’s premier collectors of African American art, desiring to draw attention to this deeply underappreciated facet of the artistic canon.

Fisk University’s Spring 2023 commencement ceremony will take place on May 1, 2023, on campus and will start promptly at 9 am.