Stephen A. Smith on Facing Critics Without Walking Away from His Faith

It’s clear from the moment viewers turn on sports commentator Stephen A. Smith that they know he has something to say. In a sit-down interview with Pastor Jamaal Bernard, host of Off Script, Stephen A. Smith feels familiar with Bernard, who is the pastor of Christian Cultural Center. Smith has called Jamaal’s father his pastor for the past three decades. “Your dad, Pastor AR Bernard, is like a father to me. I don’t say that lightly.” Smith found himself in the news recently when the National Black Association of Journalism handed him a thumbs-down due to how he criticizes influential Black women. “I knew that my critics were coming from, I’m built for it, so let them come.” Smith remarks that his faith is deeply centered and important in his life. “I represent more than just me.”