By Cheryl Smith
Publisher
Believe his hype! Texas Metro News’s Person of the Year is a journalist, businessman, and philanthropist Roland Sebastian Martin. The Houston native is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. An often-requested speaker, he is the recipient of numerous awards, honorary degrees, and recognitions for his works, including being named journalist of the year by the National Association of Black Journalists.
His works took him to several cities in Texas, as well as across the country and internationally. In previous years, we recognized Rev. Yvette Blair-Lavallais, who took on sexual misconduct in the church and the silence surrounding it; and then there was Judge Tammy Kemp who courageously presided over the Amber Guyger murder trial and after the verdict and sentencing, in a display of compassion, embraced the convicted murderer. We stand by our decisions because we believe in being on the right side of history and we’re not hypocrites!
When choosing our Person of the Year, we don’t look for people who are the flavor of the moment or the latest social media phenomenon. We don’t choose someone who is trying to be a celebrity, instead, we choose someone whose works, life, or actions are worth being celebrated.
Which brings me to my truth.
When I think about the past year and the influence that Mr. Martin has had on educating and informing the masses; I am proud to call his name. I could cite his impressive numbers across social media platforms or wherever he gathers, but those impressive numbers are rapidly increasing. Yes, he’s controversial and fearless, but he’s also well-prepared, well-researched, passionate, and committed. Sure, he can be entertaining and he has provided a platform for entertainers, activists, experts, educators, disenfranchised, empowered, elderly, youth, and more.
Mr. Martin comes down on the right side of history. He uses his digital platform Roland Martin Unfiltered to find and ask the right questions and get the answers, empower the powerless, and right wrongs. When the so-called mainstream media can’t find Black experts for their shows or stories, Martin can. When so-called seekers/speakers of truth couldn’t call a lie a lie, Martin did. There’s no place where he has a problem entering. His faith is strong, as is his voice.
There are so few with the freedom to speak truth to power, regardless of how often you hear their voice or see their faces. Too many with power are silent and that’s okay, as long as there’s a Roland Martin among us. The more he uses his voice to empower and uplift, the more Martin’s millions of listeners and viewers donate and grow. People are tuning in. Don’t believe me? He’s on YouTube, Facebook, I Heart Radio, and stay tuned because you will be hearing more about him in the future.
Roland Martin has receipts and in a world where we have so many dealing with the “impostor syndrome” because they are perpetrating a fraud; he is the real deal. He’s done radio, television, print, and digital. He’s an author, mentor, and the husband of the dynamic Rev. Jacquie Hood Martin. That’s why when he walks into a room, he doesn’t need an introduction. His work is there for the world to see. Rev. Al Sharpton said the hardest person to give a eulogy for is the person who has you hallucinating because they haven’t done a thing.
No hallucinating here, none at all. Roland Martin works tirelessly and that work is worthy of recognition. It would be a glaring oversight to not acknowledge his contributions. You can also support the only daily digital show of its kind and join the #BringTheFunk Fan Club by using PayPal, Square, or CashApp. Or log on to rolandsmartin.com for more info.
Read more about Roland Martin here or here and you should understand why he is our Person of the Year.
