D. Watkins

Dec 25, 2024 | salon.com | D. Watkins

My 4-year-old daughter Cross already has a better idea of the energy we should put into Christmas gifts than either of her parents combined. Reliving childhood holiday memories through the gifts you buy your kid is a guilty parenting pleasure. Yes, you buy the latest, most popular toys; yes, you stay up all night putting those toys together; and yes, you play with them as much as your child does, or maybe more.

Dec 10, 2024 | salon.com | D. Watkins

They say, "Never meet you heroes," and I say, they couldn’t be more wrong. Back in 2017, I had rare opportunity to interview the legendary Dr. Nikki Giovanni here at Salon, where we had a transformative exchange that changed me. On Monday, she passed at 81. Nikki Giovanni – poet, educator and literary giant who authored of over 25 titles including “Black Judgement,” “A Good Cry” and “Black Feeling, Black Talk” – was a special kind of public figure.

Nov 20, 2024 | salon.com | D. Watkins

Entertainment icon and ABC’s "Abbott Elementary" star Sheryl Lee Ralph has a unique opportunity to use her role as Mrs. Howard to both highlight the role education has played in her upbringing and shed a light on our nation's real MVPs, public school teachers. “She's a lifelong learner,” Ralph said of her character Mrs. Howard during our conversation for "Salon Talks." “She represents so many teachers in my lifetime. My dad, a lifelong learner, an educator. My mom, an educator in fashion.

Nov 20, 2024 | yahoo.com | D. Watkins

Entertainment icon and ABC’s "Abbott Elementary" star Sheryl Lee Ralph has a unique opportunity to use her role as Mrs. Howard to both highlight the role education has played in her upbringing and shed a light on our nation's real MVPs, public school teachers. “She's a lifelong learner,” Ralph said of her character Mrs. Howard during our conversation for "Salon Talks." “She represents so many teachers in my lifetime. My dad, a lifelong learner, an educator. My mom, an educator in fashion.

Nov 13, 2024 | salon.com | D. Watkins

Damon Wayans Jr. says his new CBS show "Poppa's House," in which he plays opposite his dad, comedy legend Damon Wayans, and serves as a writer on, may be his funniest job ever. "Something funny happens literally every day," Wayans Jr. explained to me on "Salon Talks." "From when we rehearse, to the table read. We're laughing the entire time.”On the show, Wayans Jr. plays Junior, an aspiring director who's working at his father-in-law’s company while waiting for his dream to take off.