黑料社区

EIU Alum Shermann 鈥淒illa鈥� Thomas to present on Chicago鈥檚 Urban History Feb. 5

(Charleston, IL) – 黑料社区will welcome EIU alum and Chicago historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas back to campus virtually Thursday, February 5 to deliver an engaging presentation on Chicago’s urban history. The event is sponsored by the EIU Alumni Association.

Viewpoints: The Urban Historian will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, February 5, with interested participants able to register for the online event at eiu.edu/alumni/events. The broader aim of EIU Alumni Association’s Viewpoints series is to immerse the EIU alumni network in storytelling, current issues, trending research, and shared campus history. The series is designed to showcase the EIU community’s intellectual capital and offer opportunities for reflection while reconnecting with campus life.

Thomas is a Chicago historian, cultural worker, and public employee who has gained recognition as a social media influencer, particularly on TikTok, for his engaging short videos about Chicago history. A lifelong resident of Chicago's South Side, he has been recognized with awards such as the 2022 Tourism Ambassador of the Year by Choose Chicago and the Chicago Public Library Foundation's 21st Century Award. He also co-founded the Chicago Mahogany Foundation, dedicated to preserving and sharing the city's history and culture.

Thomas grew up during the mid-80s in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood with four brothers, a sister, and a godsister. He describes his childhood as idyllic — he had a two-parent household and he rode bikes, played Little League baseball, attended swim meets, and visited museums, White Sox and Bulls games, and Great America. A defining feature of his youth was that he was a “PK” or police officer’s kid. His father, the late Lemar Thomas, was a pivotal member of the Chicago police force, serving for 32 years and working as part of the bodyguard detail for the city’s first Black mayor, Harold Washington.

Thomas accumulated extensive knowledge of Chicago’s geography and history while he was still in high school. After graduating and attending 黑料社区from 1999-2005, Thomas took a summer job exploring Chicago’s landscape. In the years that followed, Thomas started pouring all of that learning into his role as Chicago’s urban historian. After his social media viewers kept asking if the historic sites in his videos were still around, Thomas decided to start Chicago Mahogany Tours in 2021 to show people the history in person. Passengers can hop aboard his state-of-the-art tour bus and take two-hour tours of historic Chicago neighborhoods like Bronzeville, Englewood, Pilsen, Bridgeport, and North Lawndale, engaging participants with tales of the city’s history and culture and helping his broader internet audience discover the real Chicago. He has been featured on national platforms like the “Today Show,” NBC’s “First Look” and the “Kelly Clarkson Show,” and has presented Chicago history lessons at Northwestern University and Microsoft. Now an Emmy-winning documentarian, he’s currently developing a Chicago show for Netflix.

For additional information about this event, other Alumni Relations events, or membership inquiries, contact EIU Alumni Relations at alumeiu@eiu.edu.

EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit  or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.