Anika Noni Rose Is Wilona Watson

Meet Wilona Watson. She left her native Alabama to raise her family up north, but she’s forever loyal to her Southern roots. When her oldest son, Byron, comes down with a nasty case of teen rebellion, she decides a dose of his Grandma Sands’ no-nonsense approach is just what he needs to put him back on track. So, Wilona, her husband, Daniel and their three kids load up the family car and set out for Birmingham in the summer of 1963.

All she wanted was a family reunion. Putting her children in danger wasn’t part of the plan. 

Anika Noni Rose stars as Wilona Watson in The Watsons Go to Birmingham, premiering Sept. 20 on Hallmark Channel. For all the latest updates, check out the official Watsons Facebook page.