These tour guides are fighting segregation in Chicago
CHICAGO -- He towered over the packed bus, standing well over 6 feet, with a head full of locks and a purple shirt proudly boasting “Chicagoan” on his chest.
“You’re getting an official Mahogany tour because the bus pulled up late,” Shermann “Dilla” Thomas joked with the crowd of onlookers.
The Mahogany Bus Tour is an initiative created by TikTok star, community historian and cultural worker Thomas to encourage natives, transplants and tourists to move beyond their screens, off their blocks and into Chicago’s diverse communities. Thomas, a South Side native, shines a light on the rich history of Chicago’s neighborhoods that is often skipped over by the tourism industry.
On a Saturday in May, the North Lawndale tour bus rolled to a stop behind the Douglass Park field house and an eclectic crowd eagerly climbed aboard. One ticket-holder wore a tweed jacket with collegiate elbow patches. Another had bright pink hair and a rainbow belt. According to Thomas, the tours
