Roland Martin’s independent Black Star Network is thriving. He has over a million YouTube subscribers for his daily show Roland Martin Unfiltered and is a trusted messenger for news of importance to the African American community. Now he’s adding a pre-teen reporter to his roster who was a sensation at the recent Democratic National Convention.

Twelve-year-old Knowa DeBaraso was already a social media creator. The Atlanta-based reporter is homeschooled and showed his precocious knowledge and insight in interviews with My Pillow founder Mark Lindell (His viral retort to the so-called facts Lindell was spouting was ‘So your source is ‘trust me, bro?’) and as a guest on Sky News where he told anchor Mark Austin that kids don’t get news from legacy media, or as he put it “old-school news.”

DeBaraso said social media is critical not just to correct disinformation but to provide new information to young people.

As part of a large contingent of influencers who were given enormous access at the Democratic National Convention to help spread the word for the Harris Walz ticket, DeBaraso hoped to advance his media career by connecting with other members of the media.

That’s where Martin comes in. The two connected when DeBaraso asked for a photo and instead was put on the air. After hearing him speak, Martin decided on the fly to offer the pre-teen an outlet on his platform.

“It’s all about the desire and the urgency of the individual,” Martin told Variety. “This kid’s got it. You have to nurture that and develop that. Those of us in African American media have to leverage our platform to create opportunities for the next generation.”

Watch their video interaction below:

Martin is basking in the success of his independent network, which he says has been profitable since 2020, earning more than $3M annually. He’s done so in a competitive media environment that has torpedoed other more high-profile Black media outlets.

Martin expanded his show into The Black Star Network which now employs more than 15 people. He self-financed the venture with assistance from a sole sponsor, labor union AFSCME. The support of his base, who support progressive Black content, is what has allowed him to offer a platform to DeBaraso. Martin promises more to come.

“God gave me the vision, He made it plain, and we’ve been winning ever since,” Martin said in a recent social media post. “And three years ago today, the vision led to the @blackstarnetwork. We’ll be adding new shows in 2025 and expand our offerings. We are not through yet!”

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