Being a suburb of Philadelphia it has significant historical ties, recognized as "Birmingham of the North" per civil rights leader James Farmer Jr. because of its history of police brutality and racial tension in the early 20th century. Major figures like Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr travelled to Chester in their journeys to relay their messages to America.
Martin Luther King Jr. pursued his Masters of Theology degree at Crozer Theological Seminary from 1948-1951. The president of the seminary spoke at Morehouse College’s baccalaureate in 1945, while King was enrolled at the college. However, the single most influential factor in his attending Crozer Theological Seminary would be attributed to his fellow Morehouse College alum, J. Pius Barbour. Barbour, who was a friend of Martin Luther King Sr, also happened to be the first African-American to obtain a Masters of Theology degree from the seminary in 1937.
