Although best known for his literary work On Strivers Row, Hill's most fundamental accomplishment was his part in founding American Negro Theater (ANT) alongside Frederick O'Neal, and members of the McClendon Players.
from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, in 1937; before graduating he secured a job in drama with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), where he directed productions with male youths.
These plays would later be produced by the Unity Players of the Bronx, which eventually helped him earn the Theresa Helbrun Scholarship at the New School for Social Research, studying under John Gassner and Erwin Piscator.
Hill and O'Neal believed that mainstream theater not only had few opportunities for Black actors, but that it also encouraged a hostile competitive relationship between the artists — each striving to be the only "star".
They hoped to establish a company as a platform for African-American artists that would provide opportunities not available to them on Broadway, creating an accessible space where they could perform regularly.