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

‘Making Mexican Chicago’ Traces History of Mexican Communities in Chicago

In “Making Mexican Chicago: From Postwar Settlement to the Age of Gentrification,” Mike Amezcua explores how the Windy City became a Latinx metropolis in the second half of the twentieth century, offering a powerful multiracial history of Chicago that sheds new light on the origins and endurance of urban inequality. The story of how La Villita and Chicago’s other Mexican enclaves developed is the subject of “Making Mexican Chicago: From Postwar Settlement to the Age of Gentrification.” The book walks the streets of the city’s Mexican communities and explores the history of the forces that shaped them. Read more >

Latino Voices

Where Can You Get Tropical Paczki? Only in Polombia

Peanut butter and jelly paczki from Polombia. (WTTW News) The last day before Lent has many names: Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. It's also known as Paczki Day when Chicagoans prepare for Lent by indulging in as many of the traditional Polish jam-filled doughnuts as they can eat. Read more >

Latino Voices

New Immersive Exhibit Showcases Works of Frida Kahlo

(WTTW News) We spoke with Frida Kahlo’s grandniece and great-grandniece ahead of the opening of an immersive exhibit showcasing the artist’s work in 360 degrees. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, February 19, 2022 - Full Show

Univision’s Alex Hernandez guest hosts. (WTTW News) Money tips as we ride a wave of high inflation. The reasons why CPS enrollment is declining. A Pilsen hardware store opens its doors for the next generation. And we dance our way to a salsa festival. Read more >

Black Voices

Black History Month Spotlight: Wendell Campbell, Chicago Architect

(Courtesy American Institute of Architects) February is Black History Month and to celebrate, we’ll be spotlighting a Chicago Black history maker every week. This week’s history maker is nationally recognized architect Wendell Campbell.  Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, January 29, 2022 - Full Show

(WTTW News) The former Chicago cop convicted of killing Laquan McDonald to be released from prison; activists react. Plus, a transformation in Bronzeville. And a new art exhibit explores anti-Black violence. Read more >

Black Voices

New Exhibit Explores Intersection of Anti-Black Violence and Art

(WTTW News) A new exhibit at Northwestern University is exploring America’s race relations dating back to the early 1800s. “A Site of Struggle: American Art against Anti-Black Violence” spotlights the country’s racism in a visual history lesson, showcasing the intersection of violence and art, while also encouraging reflection. Read more >

Black Voices

New Podcast Spotlights Real Estate Revitalization Efforts in Bronzeville

(WTTW News) Known as the “Black Metropolis,” the neighborhood became a hub for African American businesses in the early 1900s and has remained a popular place to live, especially for Chicago’s Black community. Now, a recent construction boom is replacing vacant lots with high-priced homes. The transformation is the focus of a new podcast series created and produced by Crain’s Chicago Business real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin. 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

Author Digs Deep Into ‘Hidden History’ of Black Civil Rights in ‘Before the Movement’

Scholar and author Dylan Penningroth. (Provided) African Americans were fighting for their rights through common law long before what many people know conventionally as the Civil Rights Movement. That’s the conclusion award-winning scholar and author Dylan Penningroth came to in his book “Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights.” 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 >