South Berwick Town Hall creates Tuskegee exhibit to honor sister city

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — As of this week, when you enter the town offices in South Berwick, Maine, you will learn about Tuskegee, Alabama, a city 1,275 miles and a world away. That’s right, the town of South Berwick has taken another step in solidifying its relationship with the city of Tuskegee by installing a full wall display introducing its sister city in Alabama.

During the final evening of a four-day visit to South Berwick July 15 to 18 by Tuskegee Mayor Tony Haygood and three other residents of Tuskegee, South Berwick Town Manager Tim Pellerin unveiled the new exhibit declaring Tuskegee South Berwick’s sister city and offering some basic historical facts about the southern city.

“This wall will be 'for sharing our culture and ideals to remember our past, embrace the present and enhance our future by joining together our shared vision for tomorrow,'” Pellerin said, reading from the inscription on the wall.

The wall that welcomes visitors to town hall also includes photos of the Tuskegee Airmen, the country’s first African American military pilots as well as a photo of Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee University, with his famous quote: “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”

A photo of former resident and civil rights hero Rosa Parks is accompanied by her statement, “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.” And a photo of Lionel Ritchie shows Tuskegee’s famous musical legend.

Mayor Haygood, Rovetta and Sullivan Hanna, and Judith Baldwin of Tuskegee, who were visiting South Berwick to continue a relationship between the two communities that began five years ago, were at Town Hall as Pellerin unveiled the new exhibit.

“Your names are forever embedded on our walls so that anyone who comes and goes here knows that Tuskegee, Alabama, is important to us,” Pellerin said as he introduced the Sister City wall to the Tuskegee group and about 15 South Berwick residents. “In your home, you have pictures of your family. Now we have pictures of our family. And you are our family, Mr. Mayor."

The group attended a community supper at Central School, kayaked in the Salmon Falls River, and engaged with a dozen South Berwick residents in a directed dialogue on race relations.

The two communities became Sister Cities in 2017 as South Berwick residents sought out ways to be a part of racial healing in this country. Since then, Tuskegee residents have travelled to Maine and South Berwick residents have gone on several occasions to Tuskegee as part of the Common Ground Tuskegee/South Berwick Sister City relationship.

Both the Tuskegee City Council and the South Berwick Town Council unanimously agreed to form this relationship.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Tuskegee sometime, but in the meantime I want to welcome you,” said Pellerin during the community supper. “You are here because we are sister cities but more importantly, we all share a vision. We are all people and we are all human beings and at this time in the world we need more kindness.”

Haygood responded, “We are excited to be here” as he addressed a crowd of about 100 under a tent behind Central School.

“Every time we interact with you it gives us hope, it gives us courage about things for the future,” Haygood said. “It’s not often that people sit down and talk to each other. When you communicate, you start to understand each other, to interact, to appreciate the other side. Communication is the key to everything and that is what we have here, open, honest communication.”

The supper involved just about the entire community. It was hosted by the First Parish Federated and First Baptist churches in South Berwick in conjunction with the town, school district, the Rotary and Common Ground Sister City committee. Rock My Soul, a local gospel group, performed and Our Lady of the Angels Catholic church gave financial support.

A directed dialogue the next day about racial issues facing this country included leaders of local organizations meeting with Tuskegee visitors at Town Hall. South Berwick and Tuskegee residents were invited to observe on live stream. Through the week, the South Berwick Public Library also had a display highlighting Tuskegee and Civil Rights.

The Town Hall exhibit featuring Tuskegee was created in large part by assistant town clerk Tyanne Vasapoli, a graphic designer.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: South Berwick Town Hall gets wall for Tuskegee, its sister city