OUR HISTORIAN

Chicago historian Dilla, as he is affectionately known, is an Emmy Award-winning modern historian, cultural worker, and brand ambassador. Dilla has become a Chicago influencer, activist and social media sensation.  What began by going viral on TikTok has led into perspective shifting, publicly accessible history lessons for all. Dilla's history videos on everything Chicago have been viewed over 40 million times, and he has amassed a following of 300K followers across all social media platforms. Dilla has been featured on all manner of Chicago media and has also appeared nationally on both The Today Show and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Dilla is a proud lifelong resident of Chicago's South Side.

He lives by the saying that everything dope about America comes from Chicago.

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Through the power of storytelling, Dilla is helping change the narrative, locally and nationally, about Chicago's value to the world. He was named the 2022 Chicago Tourism Ambassador of the Year by Choose Chicago, the tourism agency of the city. His work has been enshrined in the Congressional record at the US House of Representatives. He's received awards and recognition from the American Planning Association, City Club Chicago, and a host of community and faith-based organizations. Dilla is a recipient of the prestigious Chicago Public Library Foundation's 21st Century Award, as well as a Studs Terkel Uplifting Voices recipient. Dilla has been voted the best Chicago Twitter page/best Chicago Instagram page, and best Chicago TikTok page by Chicago Reader magazine on several occasions. He has presented Chicago history lessons and lectures to institutions of higher learning across the globe. Dilla has also given lessons to several Fortune 500 companies and is a proud partner of every professional sports team in Chicago.