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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$17 Billion in Infrastructure Funding Means Big Business for Construction and Engineering Firms
The $1 trillion infrastructure plan was signed into law by President Joe Biden. Nationwide, the plan will send billions to state and local governments for long-needed upgrades. 17 billion of those dollars are headed to Illinois, adding to the 45 billion the state is already spending on infrastructure thanks to the 2019 Rebuild Illinois bill.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, November 13, 2021 - Full Show
The latest in the fight against COVID-19. Help for those who can't afford broadband internet. Exploring immigrant identity in a new show. And La Ultima Palabra on standing up for your community.
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Child Vaccination, Antiviral Treatments Brighten Pandemic Outlook
Two antiviral treatments for existing COVID infections are on the horizon. And in Chicago, more than 6,000 children ages 5 to 11 received COVID-19 vaccinations this past week. But, case counts are again on the rise and with holiday gatherings just around the corner, the threat of COVID remains.
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Can’t Afford Broadband Access? An FCC Program Can Help
For the last two years, stay-at-home orders and closed schools made people’s reliance on the internet more apparent than ever. It also showcased the inequities in access to broadband internet. Nationwide, Latino households are not only less likely to have broadband access, but also the devices needed to get connected.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Nonprofit Awards Nearly $1M to Local Artists
Dozens of Chicago artists are receiving a total of nearly $1 million in cash grants from the Chicago-based nonprofit, 3 Arts. One of those recipients is violinist Caitlin Edwards, who shared her passion for music and the violin with us.
Read more >Black Voices
The Last Word: Oboi Reed
Chicagoans are fortunate to have many options for moving about the city — from cars, buses and trains to bikes, scooters, and our own two feet. But the infrastructure for those transportation methods is not offered in equal measure to all of Chicago's communities.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, October 30, 2021 - Full Show
What the city’s new budget could mean for Black Chicagoans. Efforts to get some of the city’s youngest residents vaccinated. Artistry pays off. And The Last Word on community mobility.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, October 23, 2021 - Full Show
We look at the Chicago Sky’s championship-winning impact on women’s sports. Plus a documentary on the legacy of Harold Washington. And a breakout choreographer for the Joffrey Ballet.
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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
‘Chicago Style’ Showcases Black Fashion Through the Decades
Two friends have combined their love of fashion by incorporating film and the runway to take people on a journey back to see Black fashion on Chicago’s South Side decades ago. The “Chicago Style” film and fashion show runs from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21.
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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