ESPN’s Jemele Hill: ‘Racism and Classism’ Exist in Sports Endorsements

While talking about endorsement deals in sports on MSNBC’s “Melissa Harris-Perry,” ESPN2 talk-show co-host Jemele Hill responded to Melissa Harris-Perry bringing up that Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova makes $10 million more than Williams, even though Williams is more successful in the sport of tennis.

“To the Serena point, she makes less in endorsements than some folks who are ranked far below her who are more sort of classically presumed,” said Harris-Perry.

Hill replied, “But that’s a different consumer audience. That doesn’t justify it but, in fact, it just highlights the racism and classism in it because if you look at Maria Sharapova’s endorsements, Bentley, all these high end products, Serena can’t do that.”

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