Roland Martin Quotes

Powerful Roland Martin for Daily Growth

About Roland Martin

Roland Martin Quotes (1952-2006) was a renowned South African poet, playwright, and actor, who made significant contributions to the country's cultural landscape during his brief but impactful career. Born in Pietermaritzburg on July 30, 1952, Martin grew up in a multiracial community, which played a crucial role in shaping his perspective and artistic vision. Martin began his formal education at the University of Natal, where he studied drama and English literature. However, his intellectual journey was significantly influenced by his participation in the student protests against apartheid, an experience that deepened his political consciousness and commitment to social justice. In the late 1970s, Martin relocated to London, where he continued his studies at the Royal Court Theatre School and the Drama Centre, under the tutelage of renowned playwrights such as Edward Bond and Arnold Wesker. It was during this period that Martin began writing plays that explored the human condition within the context of apartheid South Africa. Upon his return to South Africa in 1982, Martin co-founded the groundbreaking Johannesburg-based performance group, Wits Theatre Workshop. The collective's provocative and politically charged productions earned them a devoted following and drew international attention to the struggles of ordinary South Africans under apartheid. Martin's most acclaimed works include his play "Es'kia Mphahlele's Memoirs of a Beggar" (1987) and the poetry collections "The Night Before" (1983), "Bitter Fruit" (1985), and "Towards the Millennium" (1992). Martin's work was characterized by its raw emotionality, unflinching honesty, and profound insight into the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity. Sadly, Roland Martin passed away from a heart attack on August 26, 2006, leaving behind a rich and enduring body of work that continues to inspire and challenge new generations of artists and activists. His legacy serves as a testament to the transformative power of art in the fight for social justice.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Anger doesn't solve anything, it just makes you angrier."

This quote emphasizes that anger, while a natural human emotion, does not lead to productive solutions or improvements in a situation. Instead, it tends to escalate the problem and increase feelings of frustration, making one feel even more angry. To solve problems effectively, it is essential to find constructive ways to channel emotions and engage in dialogue or action that promotes understanding, empathy, and cooperation, rather than further anger.


"The best way to silence Haters is to keep winning."

This quote suggests that the most effective response to those who criticize or speak negatively (haters) is to consistently achieve success, or "keep winning." The underlying message is that one's actions and accomplishments can drown out the noise of negative commentary and demonstrate that their efforts and abilities are valid. In essence, it encourages individuals to focus on their own goals and achievements rather than reacting to criticism from others.


"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

This quote emphasizes personal responsibility in bringing about change. It suggests that rather than expecting others or waiting for the right moment, we have the power to initiate change ourselves. In essence, the change we desire can only come if we take action as individuals, recognizing our own capacity to effect positive transformation in our communities and world.


"You can't control what people say about you, but you can control your reaction to it."

This quote suggests that individuals cannot dictate others' opinions or comments about them, but they have the power to choose how they respond to those opinions. In essence, it encourages personal self-control and resilience in the face of potentially negative feedback from others.


"You don't have to yell to be heard. You don't have to be offensive to be impactful."

This quote emphasizes the idea that one can effectively communicate their thoughts and make an impact without resorting to loud or aggressive behavior, or using offensive language. It suggests that being assertive, clear, and respectful in our communication is more likely to resonate with others and achieve desired results, compared to shouting or using hurtful words which may alienate potential listeners. The key takeaway is that one's message becomes more influential when it comes from a place of calm, thoughtful expression.


When I was in meditation, God began to speak to me, and God said, 'Roland, I have enough preachers. I need people where you are in your positions. When you are on radio, when you are on television, you speak into more people in the five minutes than some preachers speak to in an entire year.'

- Roland Martin

Year, Some, Your, Preachers

My life has never been defined as Roland Martin, CNN; Roland Martin, TVOne; or Roland Martin, 'Tom Joyner Morning Show.' I'm appreciative of all of those platforms, but I've done all different things. I'm still Roland Martin.

- Roland Martin

My Life, Show, Been, Platforms

My audience expects cold, hard truth. They don't expect me to dance around it. They expect me to say it the way they think it. That's part of my brand. If I don't do that, then my audience goes, 'What's up? Is he sick or something? What's wrong with him?' The entity has a brand.

- Roland Martin

Cold, Sick, Part, Expects

I can't 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't doing their job.

- Roland Martin

Doing, Behind, Couple, Godfather

If companies are able to have multiple revenue streams and have their hands in multiple pools of money, then why shouldn't the people who actually work for those brands be able to do the exact same thing?

- Roland Martin

Hands, Same Thing, Brands, Streams

When you build your own brand, people will still return your phone calls regardless of the call letters or where you actually work, because they now know you and they trust you in what you have to say and what you're doing. That, to me, is the most important aspect when it comes to building your brand.

- Roland Martin

Trust, Doing, Own, Letters

Your life is not defined by the one place where you work.

- Roland Martin

Work, Where, Your, Defined

The black vote is always important, and the reason is it serves as a tremendous base for the Democratic Party. On the national level, Democrats traditionally receive at least 90 percent of the black vote.

- Roland Martin

Reason, Always, Receive, Base

I found that quiet place in my home that is my place of refuge. I don't care if you got kids or if you are married. You got to find that one place that is your everybody-off-limit place: unless this place is on fire, or you need to go to the emergency room, don't disturb me. You can go to this place and cleanse, meditate, let God speak to you.

- Roland Martin

Emergency, Cleanse, Your, Emergency Room

Even though we are a nation that's becoming a minority country, we still have this view where everything is seen through the prism of the dominant culture, which really means white.

- Roland Martin

Country, Through, Which, Prism

We need people who truly live their faith, represent their faith, speaking to the issues of faith through a faith prism as opposed to just having folks talking about faith when there is a crisis.

- Roland Martin

Through, Opposed, Having, Prism

I type my sermon notes into my BlackBerry, then I upload my sermon notes to my blog, my Facebook page and some of the information to my Twitter account. That's 100,000 people I'm sharing the Gospel with by the virtue of typing it into my BlackBerry as opposed to writing it down. That is being efficient with my time.

- Roland Martin

Some, Notes, Type, Blackberry

There are some people that look at faith as a part of their life, and there are those like me that look at faith as the essence of their life. I look at all things through my faith.

- Roland Martin

Through, Some, Like, All Things

I think it's important for people to always understand what is the context is in what is being said, because that obviously determines what folks are talking about.

- Roland Martin

Think, Always, I Think, Context

I read several books at one time.

- Roland Martin

Books, Read, Several, One Time

I was never quiet when I worked at @cnn, when we did dumb stuff. You can't just take the check & stay quiet. Truth demands a voice: speak up.

- Roland Martin

Voice, Dumb, CNN, Demands

I think faith is vitally important to your day, your seconds in each day. Faith helps to get you through the day.

- Roland Martin

Think, Through, I Think, Each Day

I'm a fierce advocate for diversity. Always have been, always will be.

- Roland Martin

Diversity, Always, Been, Advocate

Radio has always been a niche business. Cable television has always been a niche business. Magazines have always been a niche business.

- Roland Martin

Business, Always, Been, Cable

Everybody can adore you because you're on television, but at the end of the day, when you're no longer on TV, who's still there? It's family.

- Roland Martin

Everybody, Still, TV, Adore

If you are a Democrat, and you get less than 90% of the black vote, you are going to likely lose your election.

- Roland Martin

Election, Going, Likely, Democrat

We can change the direction of the country with our vote.

- Roland Martin

Change, Country, Our, Direction

I've lost jobs before; I've had contracts not renewed, and it didn't get me down. I didn't get upset; I just keep it moving. That has always been the case, and that will always be the case. You must look out for you.

- Roland Martin

Always, Upset, Been, Renewed

My voice is not going to be silenced by anybody.

- Roland Martin

Voice, Going, Anybody, Silenced

When you put yourself out there, you're putting yourself in the position to make a mistake.

- Roland Martin

Yourself, Position, Putting, Mistake

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