Learning From the Rich Tapestry of Chicago’s History

Last month, the Shriver Center hosted a special conversation with Chicago urban historian and cultural worker Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, about building wealth for Black communities on the South and West sides of Chicago. 

Chicago has the unfortunate reputation of being among one of the most segregated cities in the U.S. As an employee of ComEd, Dilla has traveled to every Chicago neighborhood and built deep knowledge of Chicago history along the way. 

“We have to stop looking at these issues as like a cough. If you have a cough, you just want to stop coughing so you take a cough drop. When that symptom goes away, you don’t think about it anymore. What you need to do is go downstairs and check your furnace to see if your filter is dirty. You need to stop looking at the symptoms.”   

Watch the recording of our special conversation, and learn more about Dilla’s Chicago Mahogany Tours and how to book a tour.