When Shermann “Dilla” Thomas was suddenly let go from a job at ComEd in September after 13 years, he was not sure what to do about his future.
But a few months later, Thomas, who is widely known as Chicago’s urban historian with his catchphrase “everything dope about America comes from Chicago,” is starting to settle into a new role as the brand ambassador and chief of social media for the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.
During his career with ComEd, Thomas said, he was comfortable with a stable income and benefits while he pursued his personal projects on the side. He said he held several positions at the utility company and most recently served as the manager of digital content “and then ended up getting laid off.”
“Promises were made that I would be put in a secure position that wouldn’t be subject to budgetary constraints, and the exact opposite happened,” Thomas said.
He said he also lost out on his retirement plan, which was a double whammy considering the loss “hurts me now and it’s going to hurt me when I’m 65.”
The layoff was “very much unexpected,” Thomas said, as he had come in for work one day and was handed a letter giving him the news. He was one of 70 people laid off at the time.
ComEd declined a request for comment.
After his layoff, Thomas said he was contacted by the DuSable Museum and told that he had “a home here” if he wanted it. He has been working at the museum since late January, a partnership he said had “naturally formed” through his work as a historian.
Kim Dulaney, vice president of education and programs at the museum, said she first met Thomas at the museum a few years back and the two connected over a shared “love for history and a love for knowledge.”
“I always thought he would be an extremely valuable asset considering he’s a great visual representation of Chicago while being his authentic self,” Dulaney said. “He’s done so much for this city by sharing his passion and the positive influence that his messaging has had on individuals in the city.”
Dulaney said she is looking forward to seeing what Thomas will make of his formal role at the museum, adding that “he is such a solid, decent guy who is intentional about navigating spaces and crossing lines and bridging gaps.”
Thomas said he is still developing his role after going through the new hire process and is figuring out what exactly he can do for the museum.
“I want to highlight the work the museum is doing and use my social media platform to get more bodies through the door,” Thomas said. “Those are some of the aspects, but we’re mapping it out right now and seeing how to go about things.”
He said he hopes to increase the museum’s social media footprint, specifically to engage with a younger audience. He also would like to dive deeper into the stories behind the exhibits and share new information online that could draw people in.
Perri Irmer, president and CEO of the museum, said in a statement after Thomas’ hiring in January that the team is “thrilled” to have Thomas onboard.
“His knowledge of Chicago’s rich history and his dynamic approach to social media and storytelling will be a wonderful avenue to reach and engage with our community and with new audiences,” Irmer said in the statement.
Thomas is known for sharing his knowledge of Chicago’s history, such as how the Loop got the area code 312, on his Instagram and TikTok accounts. He started posting historical content in 2020 and gained a solid following under his moniker @6figga_dilla.
Thomas also continues to run his bus tour company, Chicago Mahogany, which he started in 2021 as a way to fight segregation by encouraging city natives, transplants and tourists to move beyond their screens, off their blocks and into Chicago’s diverse communities. The tours began as a byproduct of the historical content he was putting together, he said.
His social media presence and tour company are rooted in Chicago and its history, especially facts that he said may be “lesser known” or things people might not think about in a certain way. He enjoys sharing these tidbits about the city where he was born and raised and has always “loved exploring.”
He said giving tours allowed him to show locals and visitors alike parts of the city that are often overlooked when it comes to Chicago tourism, such as the South and West sides, which Thomas also toured with some of the delegates and politicians visiting in August during the Democratic National Convention.
Thomas’ favorite parts about leading tours are meeting different kinds of people and watching anyone with a negative or preconceived notion about certain parts of Chicago change their opinion over the course of a tour.
Thomas is continuing to put out a new YouTube series he started late last year called “You Don’t Know Chi,” which he is hoping to have aired on a few local television networks in the coming months. The series offers longer-format versions of the shorter videos he posts elsewhere.
He said he sees himself hosting tours for the foreseeable future because he is “always in a perpetual cycle of learning” and looks forward to sharing his knowledge.
The museum will be a nice change of pace, Thomas said, as it’s a space where he can learn even more about history and how the museum operates, from selecting exhibits to fundraising.
Before starting the job at DuSable, Thomas said he already had a working relationship with the museum because some of his bus tours, particularly the South Side tours, start at the museum. He has also hosted several events at the museum in the past, he said, all to increase the museum’s visibility.
His favorite part about working within the museum is, in fact, its history. Thomas said he loved learning the origin story of the museum, founded in 1961 by educator and artist Margaret Burroughs in her South Side home, as well as the history of the Washington Park building, which was designed by another well-known urbanite, Daniel Burnham.
