{"id":3163,"date":"2010-04-16T16:40:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-16T16:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/?p=3163"},"modified":"2025-05-07T16:41:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T16:41:57","slug":"roland-reflects-on-obamas-historic-run-for-the-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/2010\/04\/16\/roland-reflects-on-obamas-historic-run-for-the-white-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Roland reflects on Obama\u2019s historic run for the White House"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Roland Martin; \u201cThe First\u201d Interview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between Barack Obama\u2019s declaring his candidacy for the Presidency and Election Day 2008, Roland Martin filed hundreds of reports about the campaign in his capacity as a political correspondent for CNN and TV-One Networks, as well as a radio talk show host and a nationally-syndicated columnist. Furthermore, Martin was also occasionally afforded access to Obama for intimate, 1-on-1 interviews. So, it only makes sense that he would decide to publish \u201cThe First: President Barack Obama\u2019s Road to the White House as Originally Reported by Roland S. Martin,\u201d a book recounting Obama\u2019s historic run for the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Roland reflected with me about the campaign, the book, his career and his family life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kam Williams:<\/strong> Nice speaking with you again, Roland. Let me start by asking what inspired you to publish the book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roland Martin<\/strong>: I was thinking about the fact that I had written about a hundred columns during the campaign, and I realized I could do a book on it. So, I started pulling all the radio interviews I did during the campaign, and my blog posts, and my interview with Michelle Obama, and I realized I could put together an anthology from just my coverage alone. But then I thought of calling about 15 of the celebrities I had met on the campaign trail, like Common, Chris Tucker, Jessica Alba and Malik Yoba to speak with them about their involvement. And they all said, \u201cYeah, we\u2019ll do it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: How did you decide on the cover and on the book\u2019s title?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: I knew I wanted it to look like those \u201cHope\u201d and \u201cChange\u201d campaign posters. Then, I was trying to figure out what the heck to even call it, and I remembered a book I\u2019d read about the New York Times\u2019 coverage of Lincoln\u2019s election, presidency and death, called \u201cLincoln in the Times: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, as Originally Reported by The New York Times.\u201d  Buy it here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Barbara Darko asks, when did you start covering the Obama campaign?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: I was already doing my daily radio show, when I was signed by CNN in February of 2007. He declared his candidacy that same month. At that time, I was trying to figure out where I fit in. Everybody was saying, \u201cHillary Clinton\u2019s going to get the nomination,\u201d like it was a foregone conclusion. But I thought \u201cHey, I don\u2019t think anybody\u2019s paying serious attention to this guy.\u201d I decided my niche was to know anything and everything the Obama campaign was doing, so that when I went on the air, I would own that space. We had correspondents covering several candidates at once, but my approach was, \u201cNo, I\u2019m going to own \u2018this\u2019 space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Larry Greenberg observed that this book comes with a DVD of your interviews with Obama. He asks, why did you decide to include that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: I said to myself, \u201cWhat could make this book unique?\u201d The interviews add value and were part of the coverage anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: When did you get a good sense that Obama could actually win the Democratic nomination? I assume earlier than the Iowa caucuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: No, because, remember, everybody thought Senator Clinton was going to get it. In hindsight, a turning point was the debate before Iowa when Clinton stumbled on the question about immigrants getting driver\u2019s licenses in New York. That crack in the armor gave Obama an opening to turn the tide. Prior to that, he had been having difficulty getting any traction. Obviously, Iowa changed the whole game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Did you find it hard to stay objective during the campaign as a black man? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: My role wasn\u2019t to be objective. As a contributor, I was there to be subjective. I was free to give opinion, and that\u2019s how I approached it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: You interviewed President Obama recently. Does he seem like a different person, given his big drop in approval ratings compared to a year ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: I didn\u2019t get a sense that because of the drop in poll number things have changed. He\u2019s always this person who\u2019s on an even keel. But you certainly can tell that the weight of the presidency is there, as it is on any president, because their looks change in terms of their hair color and their facial expressions. It\u2019s a difficult job. It\u2019s not simple at all. If you want to age a lot of years, become president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Publisher Sonny Jiles, who used to be your boss when you wrote for the Houston Defender, says, \u201cTell him I love him and to give me a call.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: No problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: She also asks, \u201cWhat advice do you have for young journalists, given the way the industry is changing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: I will say very simply, \u201cRead! Read! Read! Read! Read! What has always helped me has been a reservoir of knowledge. So, whenever something came up, I could pull from historical elements for assistance in addressing present-day issues. I am also careful to cultivate professional contacts which might come in handy at a later time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Children\u2019s book author Irene Smalls admires the fact that you are a true family man. You often talk about your wife; you are paying for nieces and nephews to go to college. She asks, is family fidelity and true success ultimately compatible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: I was attending an event years ago where the question \u201cWho are your role models?\u201d was raised. I heard people respond with names like \u201cOprah Winfrey\u201d and \u201cBill Cosby.\u201d I have nothing against them but no celebrity every fed me, clothed me, helped me with my homework, drove me to school or picked me up when it was late. It was my mom and dad. So, family to me is absolutely vital. Everybody can adore you because you\u2019re on television, but at the end of the day, when you\u2019re no longer on TV, who\u2019s still there? It\u2019s family. In terms of my wife and me raising my four nieces in Chicago, and also taking in my sister and her two kids at our home in Dallas, I felt like I couldn\u2019t speak out all around the country about saving our children, if I didn\u2019t do it at home. I can\u2019t talk about the education of black children, if I ignored two of my nieces who were a couple of grade levels behind. I believe that charity begins at home, and I take seriously the role of a godfather to fill the gap when the parents aren\u2019t doing their job. My wife is me, and a part of my life. When you hide that relationship, you stop being your authentic self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Irene also wonders whether when you were webmaster for BlackAmericaweb you ever imagined this broad-ranging, successful development of your career?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: Yes. Remember, I went to a communications high school in Houston, with a TV station, a radio station and a newspaper. I mastered all three media while still in high school. They tried to get me to focus only on one in college, but I said, No!\u201d Even while I ran BlackAmericaweb, I was news editor of Savoy Magazine, started my syndicated column and published my first book. And I was doing radio even before that. And I started appearing on CNN in 2002. So, I was doing 5 different media even then. That was always the plan. I never only wanted to settle for 1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Irene wants to know, what were you thoughts after your recent trip to China? She says, \u201cLooking at how China has treated Africa and Africans do you see any problems with encouraging greater investment by China in the predominately minority inner cities of America?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: First of all, China has invested upwards of $100 billion a year in Africa. The Chinese certainly want access to natural resources. But you have to ask yourself, who else is investing in Africa? The Chinese are investing in dams, in highways, in construction. You don\u2019t see the United States making that level of commitment to the continent. I don\u2019t have an issue with Chinese investment in Africa as long as there is equal trade, and Africans are getting what they need in return. That\u2019s a win-win relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> You got me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> Last night. My wife and I watched Couple\u2019s Retreat. Man, that movie was funny!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> I read several books at one time. One is James Brown\u2019s \u201cRole of a Lifetime.\u201d  But it here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m also reading \u201cTwice as Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path to Power\u201d by Marcus Mabry. Buy it here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Byron Pitts book, \u201cStep Out on Nothing.\u201d  Buy it here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Gerald Boyd\u2019s \u201cMy Time in Black and White: Race and Power at the New York Times,\u201d an awesome book. He broke it all down. And I have about 60 more books waiting in the hopper.  Buy it here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> When you look in the mirror, what do you see?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> An unapologetic black man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Zane question: Do you have any regrets?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> No, because even if something didn\u2019t turn out well, it\u2019s still a part of me that makes me, me. So, I never look upon anything as a regret. It helps you regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> What is your favorite dish to cook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> Gumbo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM<\/strong>: Through God, and an absolute belief in self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> I never thought about that. I\u2019ll have to come back to that one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend as a child?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM: My brother and my cousins. You gotta understand. My grandmother had 8 children. They averaged 5 kids each. We didn\u2019t have room for friends. I have no recollection of having a sleepover at a non-relative\u2019s house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> That not a single black kid would drop out of school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Uduak Oduok question: Who\u2019s your favorite clothes designer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> Sean Jean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> Being a strong uncle to my nieces and nephews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> How do you want to be remembered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> As a brother who didn\u2019t give a damn what anybody thought, but he brought his views to every venue in an uncompromising and unapologetic fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW<\/strong>: Well, thanks for another great interview, brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RM:<\/strong> Sounds good. Alright man, thanks a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To order Roland Martin\u2019s book \u201cThe First,\u201d click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roland Martin; \u201cThe First\u201d Interview Between Barack Obama\u2019s declaring his candidacy for the Presidency and Election Day 2008, Roland Martin filed hundreds of reports about the campaign in his capacity as a political correspondent for CNN and TV-One Networks, as well as a radio talk show host and a nationally-syndicated columnist. Furthermore, Martin was also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[484,2147,695],"class_list":["post-3163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-barack-obama","tag-election-day-2008","tag-roland-martin","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3163"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3164,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3163\/revisions\/3164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}