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.
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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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Medical School Diversity in Decline as DEI Orders Threaten Health Equity
Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in 2023, diversity is in decline at medical schools nationwide.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, March 6, 2025 - Full Show
How businesses and consumers are reacting to Trump’s tariff plans. And a program aimed at improving fresh food access loses federal funding.
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Pritzker Cutting Health Care Program for Noncitizens As Report Reveals Costs Far Exceeded Estimates
Gov. JB Pritzker’s recently unveiled 2026 budget proposal includes a controversial cut. It proposes to get rid of two programs that allow immigrants without legal status to receive healthcare coverage.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Feb. 27, 2025 - Full Show
Parents push back on the potential closures of some charter schools. Some undocumented immigrants are at risk of losing their health care coverage. And the leader of the Chicago Park District is stepping down.
Read more >Black Voices
Black-Led HIV Prevention Groups Push for More Equitable Funding Amid Federal Cuts
Illinois Department of Public Health data shows Black and Hispanic people make up about 73% of HIV and AIDS cases diagnosed in the state since 2018. But U.S. Census data shows the state is only 14% Black and 18% Hispanic.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 3, 2025 - Full Show
Community groups prepare for federal troops in Chicago. And the city’s minimum wage for tipped workers is going up — a look at the impact.
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How Chicago’s Changes to Tipped Minimum Wage Are Impacting Businesses, Workers
While Mayor Brandon Johnson and advocates say phasing out the tipped minimum wage helps the city’s lowest-paid workers, critics worry about the higher labor costs facing restaurants.
Read more >Black Voices
New Documentary Explores History, Evolving Legacy of HBCUs
HBCUs, or historically Black colleges and universities, have been around for more than 188 years. They were founded out of necessity when predominantly White institutions barred Black students from attending.
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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
Chicago Organizations Work to Address Suicide Rates Among Black Young People
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
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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