Latino Voices

Latino Voices

‘Like Lightning Struck’: Community Marks 60 Years Since the First Division Street Riot, Puerto Rican Rebellion

(Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum) While events for the community are planned for the entire weekend to celebrate Puerto Rican pride and culture, this year also honors the history of Chicago’s Boricua community — marking the 60-year anniversary of the first Division Street riot. Read more >

Latino Voices

As Mexico City Prepares to Host World Cup, Residents Say Construction Is Taking a Toll

(Medill School of Journalism) Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation. Read more >

Black Voices

Black Voices

South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening

The Women’s Garden at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. Read more >

Black Voices

New Columbia College President on Her Vision for the School’s Future

Shantay Bolton appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 2, 2026. (WTTW News) Shantay Bolton was appointed the 11th president and CEO of Columbia College Chicago at what she calls a “pivotal moment” for the school. Bolton, who is the first woman of color to lead the minority-serving institution, inherits a campus that has seen enrollment steadily decline over the last decade. Read more >

Latino Voices

Back of the Yards Coffeehouse Is Bringing Seniors Together With Free Coffee, Activities

Every Monday, Back of the Yards Coffeehouse hosts Senior Mondays, welcoming seniors to enjoy a free coffee and pastry while participating in activities designed to foster community and connection. (WTTW News) Every Monday, Back of the Yards Coffeehouse hosts Senior Mondays, welcoming seniors to enjoy a free coffee and pastry while participating in activities designed to foster community and connection. Read more >

Latino Voices

Column: What the Culture of Silence Around Abuse in the Latino Community Taught Me and Why I’m Speaking Out

Labor leader Dolores Huera appears on the Feb. 25, 2023, episode of "Latino Voices." (WTTW News) Women are often not believed, and in many cases, they are blamed. As a survivor of sexual assault, we need to change the culture of silence around sexual abuse. Read more >

Latino Voices

How Latina Leaders Are Responding to Cesar Chavez Sexual Abuse Accusations

Cesar Chavez, a farm worker, labor organizer and leader of the California grape strike, is seen in a California works office in 1965. (AP Photo, George Brich, File) A recent New York Times investigation found that Cesar Chavez sexually abused both young girls who worked in his movement and union co-founder Dolores Huerta. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Nonprofit Investing in Latino Arts Amid Funding Cuts, Shrinking Philanthropic Support

CLATA awarded a $10,000 grant to Visión Latino Theatre Company to stage “Las Borinqueñas,” a play set in Puerto Rico. (Medill School of Journalism) According to a 2025 report by the University of Illinois Chicago Great Cities Institute, Latinos make up about 30% of the city and the majority of CPS students, yet only around 6% of philanthropic arts funding is directed toward Latino arts. Read more >

Black Voices

Jahmal Cole on His Plan to Live in All 77 Chicago Community Areas: ‘I Want to Build Real Connections’

Jahmal Cole appears on “Chicago Tonight” on April 20, 2026. (WTTW News) Not many Chicagoans can say they’ve lived in each of the city’s 77 community areas. But Jahmal Cole, CEO and founder of the nonprofit My Block, My Hood, My City, is looking to do just that. Read more >

Black Voices

Steppenwolf’s ‘Windfall’ Explores a Father’s Grief and the Value of a Life

(left to right) Michael Potts, Esco Jouléy and ensemble member Glenn Davis in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s world premiere of “Windfall.” (Michael Brosilow) A son lost in a clash with the police. A huge cash settlement on the table. And a father torn between staying put in Chicago or starting anew. That all-too-real dilemma is what underpins the play “Windfall,” a new work written by Oscar-winning Steppenwolf ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney. Read more >

Black Voices

Yusef Jackson on His Father’s Legacy, Bringing the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Into the Future

Yusef Jackson appears on “Chicago Tonight” on April 14, 2026. (WTTW News) The organization the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. made into a national force for economic and racial justice has new leadership: the reverend’s youngest son, Yusef Jackson, who was unanimously chosen by the Rainbow PUSH board. Read more >

Black Voices

Free Doula Program Seeks to Address Health Disparities for South Side Mothers

The South Side Healthy Community Organization and the Chicago Birthworks Collective are partnering to provide free doula services to South Side mothers who are uninsured or on Medicaid. (WTTW News) The South Side Healthy Community Organization and the Chicago Birthworks Collective are partnering to provide free doula services to South Side mothers who are uninsured or on Medicaid. 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

‘Like Lightning Struck’: Community Marks 60 Years Since the First Division Street Riot, Puerto Rican Rebellion

(Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum) While events for the community are planned for the entire weekend to celebrate Puerto Rican pride and culture, this year also honors the history of Chicago’s Boricua community — marking the 60-year anniversary of the first Division Street riot. Read more >

Black Voices

New Columbia College President on Her Vision for the School’s Future

Shantay Bolton appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 2, 2026. (WTTW News) Shantay Bolton was appointed the 11th president and CEO of Columbia College Chicago at what she calls a “pivotal moment” for the school. Bolton, who is the first woman of color to lead the minority-serving institution, inherits a campus that has seen enrollment steadily decline over the last decade. Read more >

Latino Voices

As Mexico City Prepares to Host World Cup, Residents Say Construction Is Taking a Toll

(Medill School of Journalism) Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation. Read more >

Black Voices

New Columbia College President on Her Vision for the School’s Future

Shantay Bolton appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 2, 2026. (WTTW News) Shantay Bolton was appointed the 11th president and CEO of Columbia College Chicago at what she calls a “pivotal moment” for the school. Bolton, who is the first woman of color to lead the minority-serving institution, inherits a campus that has seen enrollment steadily decline over the last decade. Read more >

 

Black Voices

Chicago Organizations Work to Address Suicide Rates Among Black Young People

Rafiah Maxie-Cole, a licensed social worker, greets residents across different neighborhoods as she hands out gunlocks and mental health resources. (Medill) In an effort to combat suicide trends, two community-led organizations in Chicago — No Kids Die in the Chi and Soul Survivors of Chicago — are working to intervene early and provide young people with culturally grounded support. Read more >

Latino Voices

From Dancehall to Reggaeton, Exhibit Explores the Power of Music as Protest

Matthew McCarthy and Maxine Walters, “The Most High–a serious t’ing,” 2026. Installation view, “Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón,” MCA Chicago, April 14-Sept. 20, 2026. (Michael Tropea / MCA Chicago) The Museum of Contemporary Art is showcasing a new exhibition tracing the visual, political and spiritual origins of popular Caribbean music. Art installations are designed to immerse visitors in sound and movement. Read more >