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

‘Other Washingtons’ Art Installation Aims to Reimagine Who We Choose to Remember

Amanda Williams' new art installation around the George Washington statue in Washington Park features artists, inventors, educators and leaders. (WTTW News) “Other Washingtons” is an art intervention located around the George Washington statue at 51st Street and Martin Luther King Drive that features artists, inventors, educators and other inspirational leaders, all with the last name Washington. Read more >

Black Voices

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Dec. 26, 2024 - Full Show

Seeking parole after 47 years in prison — a new documentary explores one man’s journey. And how different Latino cultures are celebrating the new year. Read more >

Latino Voices

New Documentary Examines One Man’s Journey and the Politics of Parole in Illinois

A still of Ronnie Carrasquillo from the documentary “In Their Hands.” (Footage provided) Ronnie Carrasquillo served nearly 47 years in prison before being released. A new documentary, “In Their Hands,” highlights his journey while raising questions about mass incarceration, the parole system and the meaning of getting a second chance. Read more >

Latino Voices

How Different Latino Cultures Are Ringing in the New Year in Chicago

(WTTW News) With New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, people are already planning how to step into 2025 with their best foot forward. In Latino cultures that could mean practicing traditions like eating 12 grapes under a table, wearing white or light-colored clothing or deep cleaning. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Dec. 19, 2024 - Full Show

Joanna Hernandez of "Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices." (WTTW News) Community members weigh in on a proposal to demolish the Damen Silos. Local efforts to protect monarch butterflies. And how a local charity is working to increase donations this holiday season.  Read more >

Black Voices

‘She Who Dared’ Opera Showcases Black Female Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement

The cast of “She Who Dared” rehearses ahead of the opera’s June 2025 run at the Chicago Opera Theater. (Michael Brosilow) The opera spotlights the women who challenged segregation in Montgomery, using classical music infused with sounds of gospel, jazz and the blues to tell the story centered around seven women. Read more >

Black Voices

Despite Promises to Promote Racial Equity After George Floyd Murder, Many Companies Now Dropping DEI Initiatives

(Jovanmandic / iStock) Dozens and dozens of companies are dropping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives they loudly launched five years ago. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, May 21, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the May 21, 2025, episode of "Black Voices." (WTTW News) Five years since the murder of George Floyd. We explore what’s changed and what hasn’t — from community relations to DEI pledges. Read more >

Black Voices

Semicolon Books Owner Reflects on Business Struggles After 2020 Surge

Semicolon Books. (WTTW News) When Danielle Moore started Semicolon Books in West Town in 2019, business was slow — until the social justice movement after George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 launched her store into the spotlight as Black businesses and books gained national attention. 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

UChicago Trauma Center Reduced Travel Time for Shooting Victims, Saving Lives: Study

(WTTW News) A new study found that after the University of Chicago Level 1 Trauma Center opened, transportation time following firearm injuries dropped by nearly 10 minutes. Importantly, this translated to an estimated 79 lives saved for every 2,000 firearm injuries. 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

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. Read more >

 

Black Voices

Free Boxing Club Empowers West Side Youth: ‘They Feel the Confidence’

(WTTW News) Roy Flowers started his boxing club in 2021 in the hopes of creating healthy, supportive spaces for the youth in his community. “I just wanted to be the mentor that I wish I had.” 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 >