Chicago History Shorts from Dilla, The Urban Historian: The Chicago Flag

“The Chicago Urban Historian is bringing his history lessons from the small screen to the city’s streets in a series of South Side tours.

“Shermann Thomas, best known as Dilla on TikTok, is hosting city tours on Father’s Day on June 20 and over the Fourth of July weekend. Tours will begin at the DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Place.

“‘A lot of people famously know du Sable as the first non-Native settler here, but after that, you don’t hear about another Black guy until Harold Washington,’ Thomas said. ‘In between that, a lot was going on. We’re going to examine prominent African Americans in history from about the 1850s to the Chicago Fire, which is when the hurting started and the Black Belt was soon created.’

“Thomas will bring back his tours for the Fourth of July weekend to discuss how Chicagoans shaped the nation.

“‘The Father’s Day tours will be solely about the impact and contributions of African Americans, but the Fourth of July tours will just be Chicagoans in general across all races,’ Thomas said. ‘We weren’t around for the Revolutionary War — Chicago wasn’t founded yet — but we were very involved in the Civil War. We’ll discuss how each neighborhood signed up for different wars to continue the country.’

“The goal is to meld joy and history for an enjoyable and unforgettable summer, Thomas said. ‘It’s very evident that we’re thirsty for something positive to be in front of us to counterbalance all of the negative stuff that’s going on,’ he said. ‘I’m happy to be part of the positive.’

Register for neighborhood tours by Urban Historian, Dilla

Read the full story at Block Club Chicago

Dilla The Urban Historian Is Taking His Chicago History Lessons On Tour This Summer: Shermann Thomas, best known as the Chicago Urban Historian, will host South Side tours this summer for Father’s Day and Fourth of July weekend, Atavia Reed, Block Club Chicago, 6/4/21

Urban historian Shermann ‘Dilla’ Thomas to host Bronzeville tour Juneteenth weekend; Thomas’ popular social media videos include the history of the Moo & Oink Meat Company and Chicago’s violent taxicab wars of the 1920s, Evan F. Moore, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/4/21

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