[Untitled]

Justin Maxon

Aurora Select/ The Associated Press

The corner of Front St. and Thurlow St. in Chester, PA, is where kids from the block often play on and around the train tracks. Story Summary: Decades ago Chester was once a predominately white community with a thriving economy built around ship manufacturing. Decades following that industry's collapse, and after years of white flight, the population of the community is now over 75% African-American. The town of around 37,000 faces many crises, including one of the worst public school systems in the state, extreme levels of pollution that have caused overwhelming illness and death, a poverty rate of 25% and an unemployment rate of 16.7%, both three times the national average, and a staggering murder rate seven times the national average. In the face of these challenges, there is a revitalization movement led by the religious community, which includes over 200 churches. Essentially, faith is major stabilizing force in Chester and keeps the community from unraveling completely.

Justin Maxon, "[Untitled]," in POYi Archive, Item #42448, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/42448 (accessed June 20, 2025).