Latino Voices

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 >

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

Black Voices

‘Other Washingtons’ Art Installation Aims to Reimagine Who We Choose to Remember

Amanda Williams' new art installation around the George Washington statue in Washington Park features artists, inventors, educators and leaders. (WTTW News) “Other Washingtons” is an art intervention located around the George Washington statue at 51st Street and Martin Luther King Drive that features artists, inventors, educators and other inspirational leaders, all with the last name Washington. Read more >

Black Voices

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. 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 >

Latino Voices

After Struggling Through the Pandemic, Restaurants Still Face Staffing Shortages

(Shutterbug75 / Pixabay) The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1.3 million job openings in the accommodations and food industry, which makes up 11% of the total openings across all occupations nationwide. The shortage has caused a strain on current restaurant workers, shortened business hours, and even led to the closing of many restaurants. 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 >

Black Voices

Student Debt Forgiveness’ Potential Impact on Black Student Debt

(QuinceCreative / Pixabay) Pending the outcome of several lawsuits, borrowers can qualify to have up to $10,000 forgiven if their loan is held by the Department of Education, and they make less than $125,000 individually or $250,000 for a family. Read more >

Black Voices

Black Women Are 41% More Likely to Die from Breast Cancer Than White Women

(WTTW News) Breast cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer — when detected early. Despite that, it’s the leading cause of cancer deaths among Black women. Read more >

Black Voices

New Exhibition Series to Showcase Work of Incarcerated Young People

(WTTW News) Three Chicago art galleries and programs are partnering for a three-part exhibition series as they work to explore the impact incarceration has on young people. 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

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

Johnson’s Anti-Violence Effort ‘Just Getting Started,’ 1 Year After It Began, Officials Say

Joseph Mapp, Chicago’s director of reentry, and Deputy Mayor Garien Gatewood appear on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Jan. 22, 2025. (WTTW News) A 33-page evaluation of the first year of the push dubbed the People’s Plan for Community Safety promises to continue working to reduce crime and violence by “addressing the root causes of harm and investing in communities and people.” 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 >

Black Voices

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. Read more >

 

Black Voices

Free Boxing Club Empowers West Side Youth: ‘They Feel the Confidence’

(WTTW News) Roy Flowers started his boxing club in 2021 in the hopes of creating healthy, supportive spaces for the youth in his community. “I just wanted to be the mentor that I wish I had.” 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 >