Richard A. Chilton Jr. brings over 40 years of multidisciplinary experience across nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies. A licensed social worker in Illinois, Mr. Chilton identifies as a social work generalist with a career spanning clinical social work, higher education, public health, and nonprofit leadership. He was formerly the Health Equity Director for the Baltimore County Department of Health & Human Services and currently serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Social Work at Morgan State University. He has also held the position of Assistant Professor in the Health Services Administration program at Wilberforce University. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a Master of Social Work (MSW), and a Master of Public Health (MPH), Mr. Chilton is presently completing a graduate degree in Museum Studies at Southern University at New Orleans, further expanding his interdisciplinary approach to community engagement and education.

Mr. Chilton is a nationally certified Balanced and Restorative Justice trainer and Circle Keeper, with experience in both domestic and international settings, including public health policy development, curriculum design, and parent education for foster and daycare parents. His professional portfolio includes program coordination, individual and group counseling, teaching, workshop facilitation, voiceover performance, and graphic design. He has facilitated community dialogues on racism, contributing to efforts that foster equity, healing, and systemic change. Currently launching his entrepreneurial pursuits, Mr. Chilton is emerging as a life coach, Kemetic yoga instructor, and multimedia artist. With a deep commitment to social justice and holistic well-being, he continues to empower communities and individuals through education, creativity, and transformative practice.

Portal to Promise is an immersive, community-powered installation that reimagines North Lawndale’s legacy through an Afro-Futurist lens of healing, creativity, and empowerment. Anchored by the question, “What if our tradition becomes our condition?”, the exhibit invites deep reflection on the beauty and complexity of cultural inheritance. Through art, sound, memory, and collective storytelling, it transforms a temporary space into a visionary portal where reimagined roots give rise to liberated futures.

About Rick Chilton