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.
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.
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‘La Ultima Palabra’ on Claiming Space as a Woman of Color
Local cyclist, Xail Hernandez offers la ultima palabra on what claiming a lane did for her health and her spirit, and what she says it can do for yours too.
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Pharmacist Dispenses Care, Builds Community Trust in West Lawn
When it comes to health care, clear communication is critical to good outcomes. Nowhere is that truer than in America, where the health care system can be difficult to navigate as well as vastly different from the systems in other countries.
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Improving Opportunity, Support for Latinos with Disabilities
Nine percent of America’s Latinos live with a disability, ranging from physical and cognitive impairments to mental health disorders. While that’s a lower rate than other racial and ethnic groups, Latinos are more likely to be unemployed or drop out of school due to disability. They’re also more likely to have worse health outcomes.
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White Sox Favorite Minnie Miñoso Gets MLB’s Highest Honor
White Sox legend Minnie Miñoso made the ultimate home run: a forever home in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, July 23. For generations of White Sox fans, he was a favorite for his outstanding performance on the field and his gregarious spirit off it.
Read more >Black Voices
Census Says Volunteering Declined in Chicago, But New Report Highlights Community Organizing Work
Census data says volunteering has declined in Chicago, while new research says previously collected data doesn’t include the wide range of community organizing in the city, oftentimes leaving out the work of Black, Latino and working-class people.
Read more >Black Voices
As New Illinois Cannabis Dispensary Licenses Are Issued, Focus Turns to Industry Equity
According to the state, of the business selected for the cannabis licenses, 41% are majority Black owned, 7% are majority White owned, 4% are majority Latino owned and 38% did not disclose the owner’s race.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Aug. 6, 2022- Full Show
Attempts to level the playing field as the state rolls out more cannabis licenses. Plus, guns in the hands of Chicago teens in this week’s “Black Voices” book club. And training the next generation of environmental health advocates.
Read more >Black Voices
New Book ‘The Tomorrow Game’ Explores How Teen Conflict Escalates into Violence
A new book dissects how a conflict between Chicago teenagers escalates into gun violence – and how the community steps in to save them.
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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
Cook County Health to Provide Free Doula Services in $1M Pilot Program
“Doulas are really the experts at being able to support people emotionally and physically through this process of being pregnant, of labor and delivery and the initial postpartum period,” said Dr. Mary Tate of Cook County Health.
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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