Roland Martin Named “Broadcaster of the Year” by Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Reverend Jesse Jackson to Present Award at 10th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference in Atlanta, GA on Friday, October 16

Chicago, IL, October 14, 2009 – Renowned journalist and author, Roland Martin, is being honored by the Rainbow PUSH coalition and will receive the organization’s “Broadcaster of the Year” Award at this week’s 10th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference in Atlanta, GA. Reverend Jesse Jackson, the organization’s Founder and President, will present the award to Martin, for his dedication and accomplishments as one of the nation’s premier journalists on Friday, October 16 at the “Keep Hope Alive Gala.”

“Roland Martin’s coverage and analysis of the 2008 Election was outstanding, as is the commentary he provides every night on CNN, and now on Washington Watch with Roland Martin on TV One,” said Jackson. “His reporting and commentary indicate that he has his finger on the pulse of African American thought, and is a respected voice of our community. Roland has a unique way of connecting with people; he is generous, intelligent and persuasive, so many people look up to him and say “he speaks for me.” We want to honor Roland for his work, and we present this award to laud his pursuit of excellence in journalism.”

Martin is a multi-faceted journalist, reporting on many different platforms including, television, radio, newspapers and online. As the host and Managing Editor for TV One’s “Washington Watch with Roland Martin,” he brings a credible new voice to Sunday morning news with a one-hour program focused on issues critical to African Americans. He is also a CNN Analyst appearing on a variety of shows, including Campbell Brown, The Situation Room, Anderson Cooper 360, Lou Dobbs Tonight, and many others. He is also a senior analyst for the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Named by Ebony Magazine in 2008 and 2009 as one of the 150 Most Influential African Americans in the United States, he is the 2009 winner of the NAACP Image Award for Best Interview for “In Conversation: The Michelle Obama Interview.” He is also the 2008 winner of the NAACP Image Award for Best Interview for “In Conversation: The Sen. Barack Obama Interview.”

In November 2009, his latest book, entitled “The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin” will hit shelves.

Other individuals being honored for their contributions to civic and economic life during the Keep Hope Alive Gala include, Vicki Palmer, retired Coca-Cola Enterprises Executive Vice President; Congressman John Lewis; Sweet Auburn advocate Charles Johnson; civil rights activist Gail P. Davenport; Georgia Informer Publisher Herbert Dennard; and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Among the notables on hand to congratulate Rev. Jackson and the honorees will be V-103’s Frank Ski, Trumpet Awards Chairman Xernona Clayton, Jerome Russell of H.J. Russell & Co., African Ascension founder Joe Beasley. Musiq Soul Child, Breje and the Jean Childs Young Middle School Jazz Band will perform. The Keep Hope Alive Gala celebrates Rev. Jackson’s birthday and benefits the work of RPC, CEF and families facing foreclosure.

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the Citizenship Education will host their 10th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference in Atlanta, October 15-16 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street. The purpose of the conference is to revive hope for those devastated by job and home loss, recover from the economic calamity with new investments in industry and infrastructure, and renew efforts to create a level playing field for workers and children.

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