Latino Voices

Latino Voices

New Short Film Showcases Life, Work of Puerto Rican Activist

The case and crew of the short film “Mataron A Pedro” at a screening in Chicago. (Carmona Rivera / National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture) 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.  Read more >

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

Black Voices

Curating Sounds and Tastes: Meet 2 Chicagoans Working to Make the Obama Presidential Center a Success

Visitors enjoy lunch in Tafari’s Kitchen at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on May 12, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) There are a host of locals who acted as the behind-the-scenes cast to prepare the Obama Presidential Center for its opening ceremony. Read more >

Black Voices

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. Read more >

Latino Voices

Shop Alongside Alebrijes at North Riverside Park Mall

Twenty super-sized sculptures have traveled to the North Riverside Park Mall. (North Riverside Park Mall) If you weren’t able to make it out to Cantigny Park last summer to see the “Creatures of a Dream World” exhibition of alebrijes, good news! Twenty of those super-sized sculptures have traveled to the North Riverside Park Mall. Read more >

Latino Voices

Little Village Residents Demand Answers from Police in Cases of Missing and Murdered Young Women

Left to right: Azreya Lomeli, 15, was reported missing; she was last seen walking in Little Village. Reyna Cristina Ical Seb, 20, was found shot to death in an alley in February. Rosa Chacon, 21, was found dead in an alley in March; she had been missing since January. (Provided) Little Village is on high alert as two young women have been found dead there in recent weeks. And now with a reported disappearance, 15-year-old Azreya Lomeli, who was last seen walking in Little Village, community members are increasing calls for action from the police. Read more >

Latino Voices

Addressing the Needs of Latino Communities and the Role of ‘Promotores de Salud,’ 3 Years Into the COVID-19 Pandemic

(WTTW News) This month marks three years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. More than 2,300 Latino Chicagoans have died from COVID-19 since March 2020, according to data from the Chicago Department of Public Health. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, March 18, 2023 - Full Show

(WTTW News) More paid leave is coming to Illinois workers. Why the state leads the country in student debt relief applications. And a hot take on the seriousness of Latin cuisine. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 29, 2023 - Full Show

(WTTW News) The woman who accused Emmett Till dies at the age of 88. How Chicago’s guaranteed income pilot is working for families. Meet the city’s first poet laureate. And remembering Harry Belafonte. Read more >

Black Voices

Resilient Communities Participants on How Program Helped Get Them on Track

Deonte Baker was recovering from a violent attack when he was selected for the Resilient Communities program. “I was able to rebuild my life and feel good about it,” he said. (WTTW News) Last summer, the 5,000 Chicagoans selected to participate in the city’s guaranteed income pilot program began receiving $500 per month. The Resilient Communities program was designed to help income-qualified Chicagoans stabilize their financial circumstances. Read more >

Black Voices

Poetry Beyond the Page With Avery Young, Chicago’s First Poet Laureate

Poet avery young appears on “Black Voices” on April 29, 2023. (WTTW News) In a city known for its poets and poetry, being named Chicago’s first poet laureate is high praise and a tall order. But teacher, producer, composer, performer and poet avery young, who styles his name in all lowercase, said he can’t wait to get started serving as the city’s poetry ambassador. Read more >

Black Voices

Small Business Owner Gives ‘The Last Word’ on Second Chance Employment

Small business owner Gia Davis gives “the last word” on why she says hiring returning citizens just makes good business sense. (WTTW News) About 26,000 people leave Illinois prisons each year, and many of them report having trouble finding employment once they’re home. 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

New Short Film Showcases Life, Work of Puerto Rican Activist

The case and crew of the short film “Mataron A Pedro” at a screening in Chicago. (Carmona Rivera / National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture) 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.  Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, March 12, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the March 12, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) How major cuts to the Department of Education could impact local schools. And Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on Illinois’ push against the Trump administration. Read more >

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

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. Read more >

 

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 >

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 >