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

Efforts to Create Affordable Housing Gaining Ground in Logan Square, Pilsen

The Lucy Gonzalez Parsons apartments opened in May 2022 near the Logan Square Blue Line station. (WTTW News) The Lucy Gonzalez Parsons apartments opened in May near the Logan Square Blue Line station. The seven-story complex, which features retail space and 100 affordable units. In Pilsen, the Pilsen Housing Cooperative offers a blueprint for community-led affordable housing.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, June 4, 2022 - Full Show

WBEZ's Michael Puente guest hosts the June 4 episode of “Latino Voices.” (WTTW News) Increasing safety and preventing injuries for Chicago’s bicyclists. Can industry and nature coexist at Lake Calumet? A new master plan hopes so. And alebrijes come to life at a local park. Read more >

Latino Voices

How Improved Bike Infrastructure Can Save Lives

(WTTW News) Despite the city’s stated plans to do more to protect cyclists, transit advocates say there is a long way to go to make the streets welcoming for bikes. Read more >

Latino Voices

¡Viva La Fiesta! Latino Festivals Return to Back of the Yards and Humboldt Park

(Courtesy Fiestas Patronales Puertorriqueñas) Festival season is in full swing, and two upcoming fiestas are back in full force next weekend. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Entrepreneur’s Innovative Creations Land ‘Shark Tank’ Deal

Raquel Graham started her company, Roq Innovation, in 2014. (WTTW News) Raquel Graham started her company, Roq Innovation, in 2014 when she was looking for a scarf her kids would wear. What started out as a fix to a problem is now a booming business operating out of a West Town warehouse. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago’s Jumping Juniors Head to Double Dutch Competition

(WTTW News) What started as a hobby to keep children active during the height of the pandemic, has since evolved into a sport that emphasizes the art of double Dutch. Read more >

Black Voices

Activists Reflect on Police Reform 2 Years After George Floyd’s Death

Protesters march along Dearborn Street while holding a sign honoring George Floyd on Saturday, May 30, 2020. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News) George Floyd’s death reignited a movement for civil rights and calls for police to be held accountable. Since then, several states, including Minnesota and Illinois, have passed police reform legislation. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Chef’s Mission to Make Comfort Foods Healthy Gets Big Boost

David Fuller is founder and president of Eating to Live, a vegan line of dishes that can be found in Chicago-area grocery stores. (WTTW News) A South Side chef is on a mission to make classic comfort foods healthy. David Fuller is founder and president of Eating to Live, a vegan line of dishes that can be found in Chicago-area stores.  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

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Nov. 20, 2024 - Full Show

New reporting shows efforts to reform the Chicago Police Department are lagging. Celebrating 30 years of the landmark documentary “Hoop Dreams.” And a soaring exhibit about Black excellence in aviation. 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 >