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My Lifelong Addiction to Smart, Progressive, Purpose-Driven People
Meet the people who fueled my knowledge and blocked for me on the playing field of life. All of them were/are super smart people.
Donald V. Watkins
Mar 42 min read
3,252 views
4 comments


Arlam Carr, Jr.: My Childhood Friend Showed Class, Character, and Courage in the Face of Severe Racial Hatred
Meet Arlam Carr, Jr., the brave 13-year-old black student whose federal court case desegregated the public schools in Montgomery, Alabama.
Donald V. Watkins
Feb 284 min read
3,789 views
3 comments


She Survived Her Transatlantic Voyage in the Hellholes of a Slave Ship: This is How It Began for the Watkins Family in America
Life in America for the Watkins family began with a young slave girl's transatlantic voyage to the New World. Her endurance birthed ours.
Donald V. Watkins
Feb 214 min read
352 views
0 comments

The Four Darden Sisters: The First School Teachers in the Watkins Family
Watkins family members have been educators in America since the 1880s. The first four teachers in our family were the Darden sisters.
Donald V. Watkins
Jan 32 min read
694 views
6 comments


Dr. Samuel Augustus Owen: An Iconic Black Minister on a Mission to Educate His People
Dr. Samuel Augustus Owen was an iconic minister in Memphis, Tennessee. He was also an educational leader. This is his inspirational story.
Donald V. Watkins
Dec 17, 20243 min read
349 views
0 comments

Rev. Willie Lewis Varnado: A Brave Southern Preacher on a Mission to Empower Black America
It's in my bloodline. My maternal grandfather was a Baptist minster and early civil rights advocate in the South. This is his story.
Donald V. Watkins
Oct 31, 20243 min read
1,316 views
0 comments


American Beach: A Case Study in Black Economic Empowerment
American Beach is a case study in black economic empowerment. It shows what blacks can do when they network with each other.
Donald V. Watkins
Jul 20, 20243 min read
275 views
3 comments


America’s Declaration of Independence Condemned Two Aspects of My Ethnic Heritage: King George's Refusal to Return Runaway Slaves To Captivity and "Merciless Indian Savages"
The Declaration of Independence condemned (a) King George's refusal to return runaway slaves to captivity and (b) merciless Indian savages."
Donald V. Watkins
Jul 5, 20245 min read
495 views
0 comments


Setting and Pursuing Family Goals is Critical to Success in Life
Setting and pursing family goals is critical to success in life. Goal setting ensures the growth and sustainability of each generation.
Donald V. Watkins
May 24, 20242 min read
855 views
1 comment


60 Years Ago, This Tennessee State University Student Demanded Academic Excellence at His College and Got It
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on April 8, 2024 In Memoriam to Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr., MD -- June 13, 1944 to April 11,...
Donald V. Watkins
Apr 8, 20242 min read
454 views
6 comments


Easter Weekend: Celebrating God's Modern-Day Miracles in a Troubled World
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on March 29, 2024 My readers know that I am a spiritual person who comes from an America...
Donald V. Watkins
Mar 29, 20242 min read
327 views
2 comments


Family Matters: The Generational Impact of Michael Daley's Deed of Land to Olivia Carmichael in 1887
The impact of Michael Daley's deed of land to Olivia Carmichael in 1887 empowered this black woman and lifted her family for generations.
Donald V. Watkins
Dec 12, 20235 min read
328 views
3 comments


Adam Watkins: One of My Earliest Mentors in Life, Business, and Politics
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on November 26, 2023 Fifthy-five years ago, the Sunday, September 8, 1968, edition of the...
Donald V. Watkins
Nov 26, 20232 min read
234 views
3 comments


My Family History Shaped and Defines My Core Values
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on November 14, 2023 I have stated on many occasions that my core values were passed down...
Donald V. Watkins
Nov 14, 20234 min read
392 views
1 comment


My Dad’s First Principalship at the Colored School in Parsons, Kansas was Announced on May 28, 1940
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on October 17, 2023 He was described as " one of the most promising young Negro educators...
Donald V. Watkins
Oct 17, 20232 min read
404 views
0 comments


“VU Med School Gets 1st Negro”
By Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on May 28, 2019; Updated and Republished on September 1, 2023 On May 29, 1966, The...
Donald V. Watkins
Sep 1, 20234 min read
272 views
0 comments


A Watkins Family Gathering in Atlanta
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on August 3, 2023 We met in Atlanta for three days last weekend. It was a family...
Donald V. Watkins
Aug 3, 20234 min read
682 views
2 comments


Joseph T. Watkins: This Soldier Fought America’s Foreign and Domestic Enemies
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on July 28, 2023 Joseph T. Watkins was my father’s youngest brother. He was smart,...
Donald V. Watkins
Jul 28, 20235 min read
248 views
0 comments


An Open Letter to My Grandchildren
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on July 3, 2023 Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court banned affirmative action for black...
Donald V. Watkins
Jul 3, 20236 min read
261 views
0 comments


"Let Your Work Speak for You...."
By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on June 8, 2023 “Let your work speak for you .... and you’ll never have to say anything...
Donald V. Watkins
Jun 8, 20231 min read
584 views
2 comments
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