Georgia Southern University will welcome noted journalist and author Roland S. Martin as the 2019 annual Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Celebration Speaker on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at noon in the Student Ballroom on the Armstrong Campus and 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on the Statesboro Campus.
Martin is the host and managing editor of #RolandMartinUnfiltered, the first daily online show in history focused on news and analysis of politics, entertainment, sports and culture from an explicitly African-American perspective.

Named four times as one of the “150 Most Influential African-Americans in the U.S.” by Ebony magazine, Martin has worked as morning drive reporter for KRLD/1080 AM, news director and morning anchor at KKDA-AM in Dallas, city hall reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and county government and neighbors reporter for the Austin American-Statesman.

He is the author of three books, Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith; Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America and The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin. He has also written pieces for Ebony and Essence.

In his career, Martin has been awarded more than 30 awards for journalistic excellence, including being named the Journalist of the Year in 2013 by the National Association of Black Journalists for his extensive focus on voter suppression and other issues of concern to African-Americans during the 2012 election.

He is a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M University and the recipient of five honorary degrees. He is both a life member of the National Association of Black Journalists and of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is married to the Rev. Jacquie Hood Martin.

Each year, Georgia Southern’s MLK Celebration provides an opportunity for the campus and community to gather and celebrate the life and legacy of the Martin Luther King Jr.