Black Voices

Retracing Martin Luther King’s Time in Chicago With Shermann ‘Dilla’ Thomas


The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s time in Chicago was significant.

In early 1966, he moved his family into an apartment in the 1500 block of South Hamlin Avenue to draw attention to the poor living conditions on the South and West sides of the city.

Almost six decades later, urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas is making sure new generations know the details of King’s time in Chicago through his educational tours of the city’s neighborhoods.

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

On a recent bus tour, Dilla explained King’s work with the Chicago Freedom Movement.

By 1966, King had already made a name for himself. He had delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech and had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. When he came to Chicago in late 1965, he had a mission for the city.

“They offered to put him up in the Palmer House, he said no because he wanted to live like people actually lived over here. So, he picked a dilapidated apartment.” Dilla said.

King began speaking across Chicago and leading marches through Gage Park and Marquette Park, where marchers faced attacks from White counter-demonstrators.

“That’s where King said he’s seen racism all across the South, but never like he saw it here that’s where he was hit in the head with a boulder,” Dilla explained as he shows his passengers pictures.

These marches eventually led Mayor Richard J. Daley to sit down with King.

“King gave Daley a demand list of about 16 demands he wanted to see change, and Daley said, ‘You know what, you’re right. I’m going to change all of this but I can’t change it with you living in the city because people will think I’ve lost power, so why don’t you go back down South and as soon as you leave we’ll start changing stuff,’” Dilla recounted. “They had a handshake agreement, and when King left, nothing changed, but that lesson he learned in Chicago taught him his most important lesson: Not leave without the paperwork so he went back to D.C. and stayed until they passed the Fair Housing Act.”

During the tour, Dilla also takes passengers to locations he says continues to uphold King’s legacy to this day.

A stop at Douglass Park is a chance to tell the story of a determined girl who sought to change the park’s name several years ago because namesake Stephen Douglas, a U.S. Senator from Illinois, owned over 150 slaves.

After a successful petition drive, the Chicago Park District renamed the park for abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

In addition to his King tour, Dilla also offers many other Chicago neighborhood tours from Bronzeville to Little Village.


 

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors