Political commentator Roland S. Martin seems to be everywhere these days. He’s an analyst on CNN, a commentator on TV One and a regular on The Tom Joyner Morning Show. But even with his busy schedule, Martin allowed ESSENCE.com to follow him for a day as he prepped for the first presidential debate of 2012.
In this exclusive clip, Martin discusses why he chose a career in media — “I never considered any other career,” he says — and what it means to represent the African-American experience.
There’s a dire need in media to have more people speak from different perspectives, he tells ESSENCE.com. “There are African-Americans who are Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal, who are Christian, Muslim, who are straight, gay, upper-class, middle-class and low-class…. It really bothers me when you turn on TV and you may see four, five, six, ten White commentators and anchors, and you might see two African-Americans. No one person can represent all African-Americans.”
Check out the full video above to hear Martin talk about his upbringing and love for politics.