Roland Martin has been named "Journalist of the Year" by the National Association of Black Journalists.
The organization announced the award on Wednesday. NABJ President Gregory Lee, Jr. praised Martin for his "well-rounded coverage of the African-American community," in a statement on Wednesday.
The announcement comes a week before Martin's last day at CNN on April 6. "New boss wants his own peeps," the CNN contributor tweeted earlier this month, when asked why he was leaving.
Martin said that he was "thankful and humbled'' by the award from the NABJ. "I hope this honor serves as a lesson to any young or veteran journalist that Black media platforms are just as essential and important to us today as they have always been," he said.
He also acknowledged his impending departure from CNN, saying, "Before CNN, TV One offered me a TV platform for my commentaries, as well my own show. After CNN, TV One and Tom Joyner, are still there. It pleases me greatly to be at a place where our voices and images are the norm, and not the exception." Martin hosts TV One's "Washington Watch," and is an analyst for "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."
CNN president Jeff Zucker recently met with NABJ to discuss the network's commitment to African American journalists. CNN has come under fire for its lack of black journalists before, and the meeting took place days after Soledad O'Brien lost her anchor slot at the network.
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