Black Motherhood: The Power, Pressure & Truth Behind Netflix’s “Forever” with Karen Pittman
Baby, this is Keke Palmer
Wondery
4.7 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 17 June 2025
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, we sit down with actress, artist, and real-life supermom Karen Pittman–whose role as Dawn Edwards in Netflix’s “Forever” had us feeling seen like never before. We hear about Karen’s path from opera to acting, raising two kids as a single mom, and why she waited 14 years to let love back in. Keke’s own mama, Sharon also joins the conversation for a powerful, three-generational discussion about Black motherhood, identity, and everything that “Forever” gets so right. Keke also reflects on how becoming a mom to Leo reshaped how she sees her own childhood and the quiet power of witnessing your kids as they grow. Because if there’s one thing we know: the mama is the one. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll definitely call your mama after this one.Get the Saks designer brands you love, delivered just like that. New on Amazon.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode is presented in partnership with Airbnb. |
| 0:03.7 | Y'all ready to celebrate independence and style? |
| 0:06.3 | Get yourself a guest's favorite spot and make your summer memories in one of the most loved homes on Airbnb. |
| 0:12.3 | Now, let's row. |
| 0:18.8 | Okay, y'all, today we are talking about a show that's got everybody buzzing. |
| 0:23.1 | Forever on Netflix is not just a love story. |
| 0:25.7 | It's a real story. |
| 0:26.7 | It's about first love, identity, family, and what it means to grow up black in a world that doesn't always see you clearly. |
| 0:33.3 | And at the heart of it is an all-powerful class and a portrayal of black motherhood |
| 0:38.1 | I've never seen in a minute. |
| 0:40.0 | Don Edwards, played by the incredible Karen Pittman, |
| 0:42.9 | is a high-powered finance exec doing everything she can |
| 0:46.1 | to protect her son. |
| 0:47.4 | She's not perfect. |
| 0:48.5 | She's overprotective, fierce, vulnerable, |
| 0:50.2 | and she loves hard, the kind of love that |
| 0:52.7 | hold you tight and hold you accountable. |
| 0:55.3 | Karen brings so much soul and truth to this role, and I promise by the end you might just be |
| 1:00.0 | texting your mama. Thank you. Baby, this is Kiki Palmer, and baby, this is Karen Pittman. |
| 1:07.6 | No matter what we're doing in the car, just chilling, popo, Amazon music, sit back and listen. |
| 1:11.6 | Life, love, sex, science, covering it all, especially the bad because money always involved. |
| 1:16.6 | No matter what it is, we gonna make it make sense. |
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