At the beginning of February, we kicked off Black History Month by recognizing our Spotlight Star Justin Martin. This 13-year-old actor, singer and dancer has shone in major leading roles, such as Young Simba in Disney’s Broadway production of ‘The Lion King,’ and his recent role as Travis in the movie ‘A Raisin In the Sun,’ which premieres this February. You don’t want to miss the premiere of this movie about dreams and perseverance, based on a classic play by Lorraine Hansberry, February 25th, 8/7c on ABC. We recently got to ask Justin about his upcoming projects, how he feels about his heritage, and why we should tune in to see ‘A Raisin in the Sun.’ Here’s what he had to say:

Young Black Starz: Why are you proud to carry African American heritage and why is it important to you to? What does being black mean to you?

Justin Martin: I am proud to carry my heritage because I take much pride in coming from a people that lived through much struggle, and being able to stand here today and be free to do whatever my heart desires is amazing. Being black to me means being strong, strong, strong.

YBS: What are some books, works or movies that you would recommend to someone with an interest in black culture or black history?

JM: There are many I would recommend, but here are a few. The book/movie, "Roots" by Alex Haley is great because it shows the journey of our people from the free lands of Africa to the enslaved plantations in America and it showed how we built a nation. Another book that I would recommend is, "The Skin I’m In" by Sharon Flake because it helps you appreciate our culture for what it is and it encourages us to be proud of our blackness no matter what shade it is. Juan Williams’ "Eyes on the Prize" is a must! It is a series of books that document the civil rights movement. PBS produced the videos. Read the books and watch the videos. They give you a real look at what some strong black people did to give us the freedoms we have today. The last recommendation would definately be the upcoming TV movie, "A Raisin in the Sun", directed by Kenny Leon and starring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan, and myself. This is a family movie that deals with the struggles a family has and their path to a better life. This story is still relevant because every family can relate to wanting to have a better life.

YBS: Which black personalities or historical figures have had the greatest influence on your life?

JM: I aspire to be like people such as Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kenny Leon, Will Smith, and and Samuel L. Jackson. The historical figures that I honor would be Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, Sidney Portier, James Brown, Michael Jordan, and Oprah. They all set the standards high and they inspire me to use every gift that God has given me.

YBS: How do you feel "A Raisin In The Sun" will influence and inspire the young black youth of today? Why do you think it’s important for us to all watch?

JM: I think the main thing that the younger generation will get from this film is how you’ll see what struggles this family went through and that you shouldn’t take life for granted. Today we have alot of "stuff" like games, TV, iPods, etc. and I think we take that for granted but watching this movie will change all of that. Travis didn’t have a lot of "stuff", but he had a lot of love and that made all the difference.

YBS: What projects do you have coming up and why are you excited about them?

JM: Right now I am filming a movie with Jamie Foxx and director Joe Wright called "The Soloist" and this one is particularly interesting because I have to learn how to play the cello. I play piano, drums and trumpet but string instruments are new to me. So that will be sort of fun. I love it when I learn new things working on projects, so the cello is a plus for me. In October of this year Universal Pictures will release my film "The Express" with Dennis Quaid, Rob Brown and Charles Dutton and I also will be in "Black Water Transit" with Lawrence Fishburne, Brittney Snow and Karl Urban.

If you haven’t already, make sure you check out his profile to find out about all of his past and current projects, and tune in on February 25th at 8/7c on ABC for ‘A Raisin in the Sun’. We’re sure you’ll be inspired by it! You can find out more about the movie HERE! To find out out more about Justin, check out his profile HERE!

Tags: Justin Martin