A large crowd of residents, family and friends turned out Friday to honor the Rev. Bernadette Watkins and witness the renaming of East Fourth Street for her.
Numerous elected officials, led by Town Councilman Dr. Dave Bennardo, joined in the ceremony for the woman who, as a community leader and spiritual leader of Mt. Calvary Church, has for decades led literacy programs, collected African American artifacts, and taken in children in need of homes and love.
Bennardo said, “Whether she’s teaching babies to read at the Tri-CYA, carrying boxes herself the largest African American traveling museum of artifacts around, let’s be honest, they broke the mold.”
At one point, Watkins summoned members of her family–biological, adopted, and fostered–to the podium, some carrying flowers, others with children of their own.
The street sign bearing her name was unveiled at the corner of Fairgrounds Avenue and East Fourth Street.