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

Savor the Sabor: Latin Restaurant Weeks Return to Chicago

Courtesy of Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events) From now through Sept. 30, 40 local restaurants are offering specially priced menus and menu items. Latin Restaurant Weeks founder Karinn Chavarria says there’s never been a better time to taste what Chicago has to offer. Read more >

Latino Voices

‘Destinos’ Latino Theater Festival Returns for Hispanic Heritage Month

(Credit: Courtesy of Chicago Latino Theater Alliance) The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance’s annual festival “Destinos” returns this month to showcase Latino theater companies, artists and stories.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Music Picks to Get Your Playlist Party-Ready for Hispanic Heritage Month

Enchúfate’s Sandra Treviño has music picks. (WTTW News) Music is an integral part of any celebration – and that includes Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially began this week, and Enchúfate’s Sandra Treviño wants to get you ready to party. Read more >

Latino Voices

Community Groups Work to Provide Support to Migrants Arriving From Texas

Donations for migrants arriving from Texas. (WTTW News) As buses of migrants arrive from Texas, the city of Chicago and local community organizations are working to get the newly arrived people settled. 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 >

Black Voices

Cook County Hopes to Inspire Federal Government with Guaranteed Income Program

(WTTW News) Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the program will pay 3,250 residents of Cook County $500 a month for two years. It is the largest publicly-funded guaranteed income pilot in the nation to date. Read more >

Black Voices

Steppenwolf’s ‘1919’ Takes Poetry from Page to Stage

(Credit: Michael Brosilow) In a new production adapted from Eve Ewing’s collection of poetry, the Steppenwolf for Young Adults program explores 1919’s legacy. The playwright, J. Nicole Brooks, says she has been a longtime fan of Ewing’s work. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 8, 2022 - Full Show

(WTTW News) Following up on our series, Permanent Punishment, a look at the legal routes to clearing a criminal record. Young Steppenwolf artists remember the tragedy that touched off the Chicago race riots of 1919. And nailing art. 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

New PBS Documentary Tells Story and Impact of Successive Waves of Black Migration

A still from “Great Migrations: A People on the Move.” (Provided) The first episode of the four-part series, called “Exodus,” details the first wave of migration north from southern states that helped turn the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago into a Black metropolis. 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 >