Latino Voices

Latino Voices

Volunteers Help Immigrant Parents Get Their Kids to School With the ‘Walking School Bus’

Volunteers walk children to school on Chicago’s Northwest Side. (Joanna Hernandez / WTTW News) “The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vendors. And it really did change. It just became a really quiet place.” Read more >

Latino Voices

In Chicago, Some Businesses Report Pandemic-Era Drop in Sales Amid Immigration Raids

(WTTW News) “I thought after COVID, like, alright, we’re in the clear,” said Adrian Zamudio, owner of Angelo’s Stuffed Pizza in Archer Heights. “We don’t have to think of anything spontaneous or something to survive anymore. A couple years later, here we are again.” Read more >

Black Voices

Black Voices

Residents of South Shore Building Raided by ICE Must Move Out by Friday, Judge Rules

Residents of a South Shore apartment building are being forced to move. (WTTW News) Judge Debra Ann Seaton denied a 60-day extension request saying “it would be inhumane for this court not to relocate people as quickly as possible,” citing gas leaks and plumbing issues. Many residents said they had nowhere to go. Read more >

Black Voices

Director and Actor Robert Townsend Returns to Chicago for Namesake Film Festival

Robert Townsend appears on the Dec. 2, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight." (WTTW News) The event will take place Saturday and Sunday and features a variety of film screenings, discussions, a game night and a master class taught by Townsend himself.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Homeland Security Terminates Automatic Work Permit Renewals; Advocates Say Move Could Broaden Deportation Efforts

(memoriesarecaptured / iStock) The Trump administration says this move allows better vetting of those using work permits. However, some are skeptical of that reasoning. Read more >

Latino Voices

Pilsen Museum Celebrates Día de los Muertos With Vibrant Artwork, Community Ofrenda

“Día de Muertos: A Celebration of Remembrance” is on display at the National Museum of Mexican Art through Dec. 14, 2025. (WTTW News) El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition that dates back centuries. The Mexican holiday honors deceased loved ones by creating altars and sharing memories. Read more >

Latino Voices

Federal Immigration Agents Targeted Northwest Side Neighborhoods. Residents Banded Together to Push Back

A sign reads "Stop Deportations Defend Immigrants" on Chicago's Northwest Side. (WTTW News) Luis Kevin Islas says lately the Rogers Park neighborhood is like a “ghost town.” In recent weeks, the area has seen an increase in federal immigration agents and raids. Read more >

Latino Voices

Latino Pharmacist Bridging Cultural, Language Gaps on Chicago’s Northwest Side

Freddy Gomez, 26, is a first-generation Mexican American who works as a Walgreens pharmacy manager on the Northwest Side. (WTTW News) “I love giving back, and the thing is, us pharmacists, we’re the most accessible health care provider in the community,” pharmacist Freddy Gomez said. Read more >

Black Voices

For Some People With Criminal Records, Illinois’ Clean Slate Act Could Offer a New Beginning

Advocates went to the Capitol on Oct. 28, 2025. (Courtesy of the Clean Slate Coalition Illinois) More than 2 million people in Illinois are eligible to have their records sealed but haven’t acted on what is currently a cumbersome, lengthy process. Read more >

Black Voices

Viral Videos of Women in Labor Being Denied Care Renews Conversation Around Black Maternal Health Care

(PeopleImages / iStock) These two recent cases are bringing renewed attention to the treatment of Black pregnant women and igniting conversations around medical racism. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 8, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Oct. 8, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Texas National Guard troops are in Illinois despite objections from local leaders — what you should know. And advocates push for more equitable public transit reform. Read more >

Black Voices

Robin Givhan Explores Life, Legacy of Fashion Icon Virgil Abloh in New Book

Left: “Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh” book cover. (Provided) Right: Robin Givhan appears on "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Oct. 8, 2025. (WTTW News) Virgil Abloh shifted the meaning of luxury and who gets to participate in it. The streetwear-loving son of Ghanaian immigrants had a meteoric rise in the fashion industry — aptly calling himself a fashion “maker” rather than designer. Read more >

Join WTTW News every weekend for analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts and life, entrepreneurship and innovation, and equity and justice across the sectors of our society and in the Black and Latino communities in Chicago. Make the VOICES series your definitive source for real conversation and a platform for different voices and perspectives.

Latino Voices

Black Voices

Latino Voices

Volunteers Help Immigrant Parents Get Their Kids to School With the ‘Walking School Bus’

Volunteers walk children to school on Chicago’s Northwest Side. (Joanna Hernandez / WTTW News) “The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vendors. And it really did change. It just became a really quiet place.” Read more >

Black Voices

Residents of South Shore Building Raided by ICE Must Move Out by Friday, Judge Rules

Residents of a South Shore apartment building are being forced to move. (WTTW News) Judge Debra Ann Seaton denied a 60-day extension request saying “it would be inhumane for this court not to relocate people as quickly as possible,” citing gas leaks and plumbing issues. Many residents said they had nowhere to go. Read more >

Latino Voices

In Chicago, Some Businesses Report Pandemic-Era Drop in Sales Amid Immigration Raids

(WTTW News) “I thought after COVID, like, alright, we’re in the clear,” said Adrian Zamudio, owner of Angelo’s Stuffed Pizza in Archer Heights. “We don’t have to think of anything spontaneous or something to survive anymore. A couple years later, here we are again.” Read more >

Black Voices

Director and Actor Robert Townsend Returns to Chicago for Namesake Film Festival

Robert Townsend appears on the Dec. 2, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight." (WTTW News) The event will take place Saturday and Sunday and features a variety of film screenings, discussions, a game night and a master class taught by Townsend himself.  Read more >

 

Black Voices

For Some People With Criminal Records, Illinois’ Clean Slate Act Could Offer a New Beginning

Advocates went to the Capitol on Oct. 28, 2025. (Courtesy of the Clean Slate Coalition Illinois) More than 2 million people in Illinois are eligible to have their records sealed but haven’t acted on what is currently a cumbersome, lengthy process. Read more >

Latino Voices

Homeland Security Terminates Automatic Work Permit Renewals; Advocates Say Move Could Broaden Deportation Efforts

(memoriesarecaptured / iStock) The Trump administration says this move allows better vetting of those using work permits. However, some are skeptical of that reasoning. Read more >