(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – You may have come across Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, who seems to be everywhere in the digital and real world.
The self-taught Chicago historian is on social media, particularly known for his TikTok videos. In 2021 he started a tour company, Chicago Mahogany, that teaches riders about some of the city’s overlooked neighborhoods and the lasting impacts they have.
Regardless of where they’ve seen him, people will approach him for selfies, Thomas says, which is a humbling experience.
“It’s weird that they want to take a picture with a history nerd. I don’t play ball or I’m not a rapper,” Thomas told the Noon Business Hour on Friday. “It just goes to show you that we all love Chicago.”
Thomas credits his love of Chicago and its history to his father, who was a longtime police officer who served as a bodyguard to legendary Mayor Harold Washington. His physical geography skills came from being a meter reader for a utility, he says.
“It allowed me to see the Chicago footprint,” he said.
He said history can be a unifying force among Chicagoans, who have a lot to be proud of.
“Things that we love about this country, most of them come from here. I say it every day: Everything dope about America comes from Chicago.”
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