#InTheRoom - Jay Martin Jr., KCTS 9 Journalist and host of The Drive Project Podcast, on Converge Media reflects on his recent promotion to national PBS host

Jay Martin Jr. is all smiles at the PBS studios (Photo PBS)

Jay Martin Jr. was shocked when he heard the news. Preparing for an appearance on The Day With Trae at Converge Media’s Black Media Matters studio, checking his email wasn’t normally one of his top priorities. On this day, though, something felt different.

“Something in that moment told me to check my email,” Martin said. “I was thinking, oh, you know, I'll get to it later. But there was this urgency, like ‘check your email now’. And so I go to check my email, and it was from the president for PBS distribution out of New York.”

The email contained an opportunity for Martin, already a host and journalist on KCTS 9 (Seattle’s PBS affiliate), to go national as a host on PBS. It was something he’d been hoping for but still felt like a long shot.

“Immediately when I read that, it felt like my heart stopped,” Martin said. “Trae thought something was wrong.”

Martin looked at Holiday’s concerned expression and immediately told her the good news. As they shared a hug, Martin reflected on the journey that brought him to that point.

“It was an emotional moment. You think to yourself of your journey, you think to yourself of the process, and how long it has taken,” Martin said. “Immediately what came to mind was commitment. Me being committed to the vision that was on the inside of me, and I'm humbled, and I'm thankful for this experience.”

That commitment is now bringing Martin back to his home state. Martin was born in Buffalo, New York, a special place to him because his family lives there. Martin was preparing to fly back to Buffalo in June of 2020 but his grandmother passed in April. The opportunity to go back to New York state and still do work in Seattle is the “best of both worlds. It’s like a kiss from my hero Grandma Maxine Harvey.”

“There's something about when my feet hit the ground there that I was just so thankful. It could have been LA, it could have been Atlanta, it could have been all these other places, but I'm literally going home to start this journey,” Martin said. “It's very special to me.”

When he begins early next year, he’ll be working on a variety of different projects. Although he doesn’t know the details on exactly what he’ll be hosting yet, he does know the specifics behind how the opportunity came to be and through that learned a lesson on patience.

Initially, Martin was tapped by PBS executives to work on the national version of Making Black America which is hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Due to scheduling conflicts that project was pushed back until later in 2023. Martin’s first reaction was to be disappointed. Thanks to that delay, however, he was given the opportunity to begin work on several national projects with PBS.

“Don't let a divine delay turn into a devilish disappointment,” Martin said. “I held on and stayed true to my vision and what I wanted actually was repackaged and even better for me. I'm so thankful that I just stayed focused and didn't give up.”

It’s that attitude that has brought Martin into this new and exciting chapter in his life and career. As he continues to push forward, he’s grateful for everyone that stands behind him.

“I'm so glad I'm not alone on this journey,” Martin said. “I'm grateful that I have a really good circle of people in my life, I have a couple mentors and leaders that challenge my thinking. Now I can walk with my head up high, knowing that I have a great support system. So I'm very thankful.”

Make sure to stay tuned in with Jay on The Drive Project Podcast on the Converge Media Network as well as following him on Twitter @JayMartinJr

Jay will continue to be on-air locally in Seattle on KCTS 9 as well as continuing to host podcast, The Drive Project Podcast, on the Converge Media Network