CNN analyst Roland Martin to highlight Martin Luther King Jr. celebration

Ohio State University will mark its Martin Luther King Jr. celebration with outspoken political analyst and award-winning journalist Roland S. Martin at 7 p.m. Tuesday (1/27) at the Holiday Inn on the Lane, main ballroom, 328 W. Lane Ave. The program is free and open to the public however space is limited.

The 36th annual celebration will feature the Ohio State African American Voices Gospel Choir and the 2008-2009 King Memorial Scholars.

Martin is a nationally recognized, award-winning journalist and author. As an analyst for CNN, he has appeared on a variety of shows, including, "Anderson Cooper 360," "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull," and the "The Situation Room."

The former executive editor and general manger of the Chicago Defender, the nation's largest Black daily newspaper, Martin has won more than 20 professional awards for journalistic excellence.

In 2008, he was named one of the "150 Most Influential African Americans in the United States" by Ebony magazine, and received the NAACP Image Award for best interview for "In conversation: The Sen. Barack Obama Interview," in addition to the President's Award from the National Association of Black Journalist for his work in multiple media platforms.

The theme for the celebration is, "Celebrate the Legacy: The Dream, Reality and Future." Larry Williamson, director of the Hale Black Cultural Center, said this year's event was scheduled a week after the inauguration so that Roland Martin could incorporate his coverage of the country's newly-elected president, Barack Obama, as part of King's dream.

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