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.
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
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.
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 >Latino Voices
Birrieria Ocotlan Stews on 50 Years of Tradition and Tacos
When Andy Reyes rhapsodizes about the perfect bowl of birria, he has generations of his forebears speaking through him. His family’s birria recipe dates back to 1926, when his great-grandfather developed his own version of the stewed goat dish in Ocotlan, Jalisco.
Read more >Latino Voices
Jeylú Gutiérrez First New Alderperson to Represent 14th Ward in 54 Years
For 54 years, the 14th Ward was represented by the now-indicted Ald. Ed Burke. Jeylú Gutiérrez said she was inspired to run for office when she saw her ward lacked for city services.
Read more >Latino Voices
Applications Open for Miller-Perez Scholarship for Latino and Immigrant Students
Attention high school seniors and college students: Applications are now open for the Miller-Perez Family Scholarship at the nonprofit Latinos Progresando. Five $2,000 scholarships are being awarded.
Read more >Latino Voices
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, March 4, 2023 - Full Show
Meet the 14th Ward’s new alderperson elect. An update on the Little Village Discount Mall. The end of emergency food stamp allotments. And a tasty taco tradition.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 15, 2023 - Full Show
The Black unemployment rate hits a new low. What the diversity of working journalists means for news coverage. And the Chicago Public Library partnering with a local barber.
Read more >Black Voices
Creating More Diverse Newsrooms in Light of Study Showing Disparities in Staffing, Coverage
A recent Pew Research Center study found that just 6% of reporting journalists were Black in a sample of nearly 12,000 journalists.
Read more >Black Voices
Black Unemployment Rate Falls to Record Low in March
The Black unemployment rate hit a record low of 5% last month, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The news comes three years after the rate spiked to nearly 17% during the early months of the pandemic.
Read more >Black Voices
Sam the Barber Creates Hope, Boosts Confidence With Free Haircuts Across Chicago
Public libraries can be a safe haven for those struggling with homelessness. That’s the story of a local barber who benefited from the library’s resources to turn his life around. From living in the streets to becoming a licensed barber, Samuel Brown is now on a mission to pay it forward.
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
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
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, March 19, 2025 - Full Show
Universities brace for a loss in funding following federal anti-DEI orders. And the future of police reform amid changes at an agency tasked with investigating officer misconduct.
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.
Read more >