Latino Voices

Latino Voices

Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive

(WTTW News) 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

Antonio Santos and Katia Martinez founded the Gage Park Latinx Council. (WTTW News) 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

FILE - Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch speaks at an event, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo / Allison Robbert, File) 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

The Chicago State University football team at practice. (WTTW News) 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

As Puerto Rico Still Struggles With Hurricane Recovery, Chicago Organizations Mobilize

Hurricane Fiona hits Puerto Rico. (CNN) Hurricane Fiona swept through Puerto Rico last weekend leaving millions without power. Now, residents are left to recover and rebuild once again. In Chicago, local organizations and officials are coming together to support people on the island. Read more >

Latino Voices

Featuring Chicago Sisters, The Luna Blues Machine Blends Genres and Harmonies for Unique Sound

Belinda and Maritza Cervantes, the frontwomen of The Luna Blues Machine. (WTTW News) Being in a band together can be a strain on any relationship — even between siblings. But sisters Belinda and Maritza Cervantes, the frontwomen of The Luna Blues Machine, say they’ve managed to keep working together in perfect harmony. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago City Council’s Mass Exodus: A ‘Latino Voices’ Crossover Conversation

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) At least 13 Chicago wards are set for new City Council leadership come next year due to an exodus of alderpeople. And while a few of those existing City Council members are leaving their seats to run for higher office, many are saying they’re opting out simply because it’s time to move on. Read more >

Latino Voices

Local Couple Gets Chicagoans Hip to Polynesian Dance

Ale Gabino and David Acevedo, owners of the Hōkūle’a Academy of Polynesian Arts. (WTTW News) Ale Gabino and David Acevedo are both lifelong dancers. After meeting at a 2003 Polynesian dance competition in Hilo, Hawaii, they married in 2009. A year later, they opened Hōkūle’a Academy of Polynesian Arts, where together, they teach their other great love – Polynesian culture and dance. Read more >

Black Voices

Number of New Cases of HIV, AIDS Diagnosed in Chicago Drops

(WTTW News) A new report from the Chicago Department of Public Health says not only are fewer people being diagnosed, but more people who are already living with HIV-AIDS are reaching viral suppression.  Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 22, 2022 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman. (WTTW News) The impact of the federal student loan debt relief program on Black borrowers. Support for families impacted by the building explosion in Austin. And how you can catch the film “Punch 9 for Harold Washington.” Read more >

Black Voices

Theater Run for ‘Punch 9 for Harold Washington’ Documentary Extended

Film poster for “Punch 9 for Harold Washington.” In many ways, the story of Mayor Harold Washington’s rise to City Hall is distinctly Chicagoan. But the makers of the documentary “Punch 9 for Harold Washington,” say his election had reverberations far beyond the city’s borders. Read more >

Black Voices

Circle Urban Ministries to Host Oct. 29 Concert in Support of Austin Building Explosion Victims

Chicago firefighters respond to a building explosion at West End and North Central avenues, Sept. 20, 2022. (Chicago Fire Media / @CFDMedia) A building explosion in the Austin community last month left one person dead, several injured and more families without a place to live. Neighboring organization Circle Urban Ministries is planning a concert to raise funds for those families as they work to rebuild. 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

(WTTW News) 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

Companies That Participated in the Slave Trade Could Face New Rules in Illinois Under Proposal

State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (WTTW News) State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago), sponsor of the Enslavement Era Disclosure and Redress Act, said it’s a way for corporations that profited on the backs of enslaved people to help repair the legacy of harm caused for generations of Black Americans. Read more >

Latino Voices

Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park

Antonio Santos and Katia Martinez founded the Gage Park Latinx Council. (WTTW News) 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

The Chicago State University football team at practice. (WTTW News) 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

The city of Gary, Ind., is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News) 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

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 >