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

Curating Sounds and Tastes: Meet 2 Chicagoans Working to Make the Obama Presidential Center a Success

Visitors enjoy lunch in Tafari’s Kitchen at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on May 12, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) There are a host of locals who acted as the behind-the-scenes cast to prepare the Obama Presidential Center for its opening ceremony. Read more >

Black Voices

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. Read more >

Latino Voices

Hispanic Transplant Program Encourages Latinos to Become Donors

April is National Donate Life Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about organ donation. (WTTW News Graphic) Dr. Juan Caicedo says it’s important to have culturally appropriate programs to increase and encourage organ donation among Latinos. Read more >

Latino Voices

38th Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival Begins April 21

The 38th annual Chicago Latino Film Festival films will be shown at Chi Town Movies Drive-In, Landmark Century Center, and virtually. (Courtesy CLFF) Festival organizers say they try to highlight first time directors, films made by women, and stories about marginalized communities including LGBTQ people, indigenous people, and Black Latinos; expanding on the original mission to create a platform for Latino filmmakers and stories.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 9, 2022 - Full Show

Univisión’s Alex Hernández guest hosts “Latino Voices.” (WTTW News) Efforts in Springfield to combat retail thefts have some community groups concerned. A culinary school teaching entrepreneurship. And an iconic structure in Humboldt Park is up for landmark status. Read more >

Latino Voices

Organized Retail Crime Bill Proposed to Address ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Thefts

(WTTW News) Illinois lawmakers have proposed a new bill that defines organized retail crime for the first time in statute. But some community groups are raising concerns saying the legislation will further harm communities that have been oppressed by the criminal justice system for decades.  Read more >

Black Voices

Youth Researchers Identify Mental Health Challenges for Young Men of Color

In collaboration with Lurie Children’s Hospital, young researchers with the racial justice organization Communities United conducted a study focused on the mental health and well-being of Black and Brown young men in Chicago. (Courtesy of Communities United) In collaboration with Lurie Children’s Hospital, young researchers with the racial justice organization Communities United conducted a study focused on the mental health and well-being of Black and Brown young men in Chicago.  Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Cannabis Company Joins Production of Marijuana Decriminalization Documentary

Michael Thompson is pictured after he was released from prison in 2021. (Courtesy of Michael Thompson) A Chicago-based cannabis company is now working to expose harsh sentences for recreational marijuana use as it becomes legal in several states. Cresco helped produce a short film on the sentencing of Michael Thompson, a Michigan man who was given 42 to 60 years in prison for a marijuana-related arrest. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, March 12, 2022 - Full Show

(WTTW News) A Black/Latino Voices crossover: what it means to be a refugee. The state’s outgoing top doctor joins us. The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act heads to the president’s desk. And going green in Englewood. Read more >

Black Voices

As Dr. Ngozi Ezike Prepares to Leave Her Post, She Reflects on 2 Years of COVID-19 Response Efforts

Dr. Ngozi Ezike appears on "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on March 11, 2022. (WTTW News) Dr. Ngozi Ezike’s last day as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health is March 14. In a one-one-one interview, she spoke about her plans for the future and reflected on the last two years of COVID-19 response efforts.  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

United Nations Calls Out ‘Racialized Police Violence’ in Chicago

Police vehicle file photo. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) United Nations human rights investigators said in a statement: “These heinous alleged human rights violations appear to a significant extent to be rooted in systemic racism and have disproportionately affected people of African and Latin American descent.” 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

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. Read more >

 

Black Voices

South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening

The Women’s Garden at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. 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 >