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Women's History Month: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Lillian Bernice Varnado Watkins
By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on March 8, 2023 Lillian Bernice Varnado Watkins, the matriarch of the Watkins family,...

Donald V. Watkins
Mar 8, 20235 min read


We Are Forever Grateful To Juanita R. Turner
The Juanita R. Turner Memorial Fund at LeMoyne-Owen College is named for the high school and college teacher in Memphis, Tennessee who launched Dr. Annie Marie Watkins Garraway, Ph.D., towards a successful career as a mathematician. This scholarship fund was established by Dr. Garraway in 2018. This article is dedicated to Ms. Turner and her greatness as a teacher and humanitarian.

Donald V. Watkins
Feb 23, 20233 min read


Reclaiming Our History: The Remarkable Story of Dr. Isaac Scott Hathaway
By Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on September 24, 2018; Updated on February 21, 2023 Dr. Isaac Scott Hathaway (1872–1967)...

Donald V. Watkins
Feb 21, 20234 min read


I Never Knew Her Name
The kindness of a stranger gave me enduring hope for a better world.

Donald V. Watkins
Nov 4, 20225 min read


Watkins Released From Prison!
On August 28, 2019, Donald Watkins walked into the Federal Prison Camp at Talladega, Alabama as Inmate No. 36223-001. He was the camp's only political prisoner. Today, Watkins walked out of the Federal Prison Camp at La Tuna in Anthony, New Mexico as a free man. This article tells the story of Watkins' journey to the other side of midnight.

Donald V. Watkins
Aug 25, 20227 min read


Celebrating My Native-American Ancestry
This article discusses the Watkins family's Native-American heritage through the lens of my paternal grandmother, Sallie Watkins. Sallie's mother, Sallie Brown Cooper Darden, and her lineal ancestors were members of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokees were one of what white colonists called the "Five Civilized Tribes" -- Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, Creeks, and Seminoles -- that were located in the Southern part of the United States from the East Coast to the Mississippi

Donald V. Watkins
May 26, 20225 min read


Sallie Emma Darden and My Indian Ancestors
Sallie Emma Darden Watkins and her Indian heritage are discussed in this article.

Donald V. Watkins
May 9, 20217 min read


“A Fire You Can’t Put Out” – Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on March 14, 2021 I loved them with all my heart. I received my winning lottery ticket...

Donald V. Watkins
Mar 14, 20213 min read


Adam and Sallie Watkins: A legacy of Love
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on July 31, 2019 On July 21, 2019, I published an article titled, “ Watkins Men Never...

Donald V. Watkins
Jul 31, 20196 min read


Do You Want to Know What Love Is?
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on July 29, 2019 In the Watkins family, we have known what real love is for five...

Donald V. Watkins
Jul 29, 20191 min read


The Love Between a Father and His Children
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on July 25, 2019 Last week, Alabama Media Group reporter/columnist Kyle Whitmire...

Donald V. Watkins
Jul 25, 20195 min read


Watkins Men Never Surrender Their Manhood
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on July 21, 2019 During our highly publicized trials and tribulations over the past few...

Donald V. Watkins
Jul 21, 20195 min read


Weathering the Storms of Adversity
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on July 20, 2019 State and federal agencies have used every resource at their disposal in...

Donald V. Watkins
Jul 20, 20199 min read


Donald Watkins Jr. Smacks Down Kyle Whitmire
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on July 17, 2019 Kyle Whitmire hates the Watkins family and what it has achieved in...

Donald V. Watkins
Jul 17, 20195 min read


The Sun Always Rises
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on July 14, 2019 My sentencing hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. CST in...

Donald V. Watkins
Jul 14, 20195 min read


Brenda Lee Thompson Carter: One of God’s Greatest Gifts to Humanity
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on June 27, 2016, Updated on June 27, 2019 Three years ago today, I drove to Montgomery,...

Donald V. Watkins
Jun 27, 20194 min read


In the End, Judge Frank Johnson Needed Community Acceptance, Too
Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., was the most hated man in Alabama’s white community in the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s. This is his story.

Donald V. Watkins
Jun 17, 20194 min read


Dr. Levi Watkins: The Father Who Taught Me How to be a Strong Man
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on June 16, 2019 My father was Levi Watkins. He was president of Alabama State...

Donald V. Watkins
Jun 16, 20194 min read


“VU Med School Gets 1st Negro”
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on May 28, 2019 On May 29, 1966, The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) published an...

Donald V. Watkins
May 28, 20193 min read


A Mother’s Day Tribute to Lillian Bernice Varnado Watkins
By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on May 10, 2019 Lillian Bernice Varnado Watkins, the matriarch of the Watkins Family, was...

Donald V. Watkins
May 10, 20195 min read
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