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

‘La Ultima Palabra’ on Initiating Change in Your Community

Rogelio Lopez, An East Side CPS counselor. (WTTW News) Rogelio Lopez, An East Side CPS counselor, gives “Latino Voices” La Ultima Palabra on what he says is the most daunting part of bringing change to your community. Read more >

Latino Voices

Pilsen Pantry in Former Church Faces Challenges

(WTTW News) A food pantry in Pilsen has been operating out of a former church for the last two years. The founder is hoping to buy the building but says she is running into obstacles with the Chicago Archdiocese. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 20, 2022 - Full Show

Alex Hernández of Univision guest hosts the Aug. 20 episode of "Latino Voices." (WTTW News) Advice on staying healthy in the new school year. The history and future of the labor movement in Chicago. A Pilsen block party. And local band Así Así. Read more >

Latino Voices

Reducing Kids’ Health Risks as They Head Back to School

Students walk in CPS hallways. (WTTW News) “The science is pretty much supporting all the changes that CDC is doing,” said Dr. Geraldine Luna, medical director at the Chicago Department of Public Health. “The reports of cases at school have been lower and we expect them to continue to be the lowest as we vaccinate children and send them protected to school.” Read more >

Black Voices

Immersive Prince Experience in Chicago Closing Next Month

The Prince Immersive Experience” in Chicago. (WTTW News) The Prince Estate is painting Chicago purple. The late singer's estate is partnering with an entertainment company to bring “The Prince Immersive Experience” to downtown Chicago. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Mom Brings Black Characters Who Are Sunny, Silly and Fun to Kid’s Literature

A page from “Stella Keeps the Sun Up” by Clothilde Ewing. The children’s section at your local library is probably overflowing with books about figures in Black history and illustrations of the Black experience in America. While those depictions are important for children to see, they aren’t always — well fun. That was the experience of author Clothilde Ewing. Read more >

Black Voices

Monkeypox Cases Dropping, But Racial Disparities Growing

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, White House Monkeypox response deputy coordinator, speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) While cases in white men have dropped in recent weeks, Black people are making up a growing percentage of infections — nearly 38% during the final week of August, according to the latest data available. Latinos are also disproportionately infected, making up roughly a third of infections. Read more >

Black Voices

A Look Back at Pullman Porters’ Push for Labor Rights

Pullman porters. (WTTW) In 1925, the all-Black, all-male workers organized and founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in hopes of forcing the Pullman Company to the bargaining table. 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

Black Illinois Residents Are Experiencing Homelessness at Higher Rates: Report

A homeless encampment is seen in a file photo. (WTTW News) The report from the University of Illinois Chicago showed a number of structural issues contributing to this disparity — a lack of affordable housing and sufficient income chief among them. 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 >