Though he was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, the Philadelphia area played a significant role in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy, writes Ashley Adams for The Keystone.

After graduating from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Dr. King enrolled at Crozer Theological Seminary in Delaware County, where he graduated first in his class in 1951.

During his time at Crozer, Dr. King often traveled to the University of Pennsylvania to audit philosophy courses. 

In 1957, Dr. King was honored with the National Fellowship Award by the Philadelphia Fellowship Commission, the country’s largest private human rights organization at the time. 

It was one of the first humanitarian awards he won.

When the March on Washington took place on Aug. 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people attended, including over 42,000 march participants from Philadelphia. 

Dr. King also made a prominent trip to Philadelphia in 1965 to help in the fight to desegregate Girard College at the behest of fellow civil rights activist Cecil B. Moore.

“This school is symbolic of a tragic evil in our nation. It is symbolic of a cancer in the body politic which must be removed before our democratic health can be realized,” said Dr. King.

Read more about the critical role Philadelphia had on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in The Keystone.

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