Latino Voices
Latino Voices
Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive
Nationally, the share of Latinos who speak Spanish at home declined from 78% in 2000 to 68% in 2024, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. The decline has been particularly pronounced among U.S.-born Latinos, as English becomes increasingly dominant across generations.
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Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
In a neighborhood where nearly 90% of residents identify as Latino and many families are rooted in Catholic traditions, the queer-led Gage Park Latinx Council has grown into a hub for families.
Read more >Black Voices
Black Voices
Smithsonian Head Lonnie Bunch on Preserving History, Retirement and Trump Administration Threats
Lonnie Bunch was named secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 2019. He began his career at the Smithsonian at the National Air and Space Museum in 1978 and took on a new role in 2005 to lead the development of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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Chicago State University Gears Up for First-Ever Football Game
For Chicago State University, the first game will be about more than football. The university is hoping the new program can help build a new sports identity on Chicago’s South Side.
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A Chicago-Area Man Needs a Kidney. His Brother Who Planned to Donate Was Arrested by ICE
A Cicero man with kidney failure is fighting for his life, while his brother who planned to donate a kidney is now seeking temporary humanitarian release from ICE custody. Here’s their story.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, March 20, 2025 - Full Show
Chicago Board of Education members kick the can on a budget amendment. And a new lawsuit alleges a pattern of illegal arrests by ICE agents in the Chicago area.
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Thousands of Venezuelans in Illinois Could Lose Deportation Protections by April
Temporary protected status (TPS) is a designation the U.S. government gives for countries it deems too dangerous to humanely send its citizens back to. Eligible migrants from designated countries can apply for protections from deportation if they arrived in the U.S. by a certain date.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, March 13, 2025 - Full Show
A controversial plan to expand a toxic dump on Lake Michigan is dropped. Why medical schools are enrolling fewer Black and Latino students. And what you should know about tonight’s lunar eclipse.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 17, 2025 - Full Show
Officials call out immigration agents amid ramped-up enforcement. And how a proposal to close the city’s budget gap could impact your property taxes.
Read more >Black Voices
Minority-Serving Colleges in the Chicago Area Push Back Against Federal Funding Cuts
The U.S. Department of Education is cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to universities serving predominantly students of color — known as minority-serving institutions.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 10, 2025 - Full Show
The latest on conservative activist and Chicago-area native Charlie Kirk, who was shot at an event in Utah. And how people who are homeless could be impacted if the National Guard is deployed in Chicago.
Read more >Black Voices
Advocates Brace for Sweeps of Homeless Encampments in Chicago, Launch ‘Know Your Rights’ Campaign
With the possibility of a National Guard deployment in Chicago, advocates for people experiencing homelessness are concerned about how a military presence might affect the vulnerable population. Washington, D.C., saw more than 50 encampment clearings since the National Guard arrived there.
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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
Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive
Nationally, the share of Latinos who speak Spanish at home declined from 78% in 2000 to 68% in 2024, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. The decline has been particularly pronounced among U.S.-born Latinos, as English becomes increasingly dominant across generations.
Read more >Black Voices
New Columbia College President on Her Vision for the School’s Future
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
Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
In a neighborhood where nearly 90% of residents identify as Latino and many families are rooted in Catholic traditions, the queer-led Gage Park Latinx Council has grown into a hub for families.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago State University Gears Up for First-Ever Football Game
For Chicago State University, the first game will be about more than football. The university is hoping the new program can help build a new sports identity on Chicago’s South Side.
Read more >
Black Voices
Storm Recovery Continues in Gary, as Thousands Still Without Power
Tuesday will mark two weeks since a derecho swept through Illinois and northwest Indiana, with winds damaging homes, uprooting trees and knocking out power for hundreds of thousands.
Read more >Latino Voices
New Short Film Showcases Life, Work of Puerto Rican Activist
Members of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community recently took park in a special screening of a new short film based on the life of Pedro Albizu Campos.
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