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

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 >

Latino Voices

Salvation Army Working to Ramp Up Donations as Need for Services Increases

Donations of clothes and toys made to Chicago-area Salvation Army facilities. (Credit: Salvation Army) Charitable giving dropped more than 2% in 2023, according to a Giving USA report. But local organizations are making efforts to reach their donation goals just in time for the new year.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Local Advocates Work to Protect the Monarch Butterfly Population Amid Steep Decline

A monarch butterfly rests on the hand of Claudia Galeno-Sanchez. (WTTW News) Population assessments show monarch populations have declined by 59% from 2023 to 2024. The unique pollinators are an important part of the ecosystem, but also have deep cultural connections. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Dec. 12, 2024 - Full Show

Calls for city officials to step aside and cooperate with federal mass deportations. And a state-of-the-art exhibit makes a dazzling debut at the Shedd Aquarium. 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 >

Black Voices

5 Years Later, How George Floyd’s Murder Has Impacted Police-Community Relations

Protesters march along Dearborn Street while holding a sign honoring George Floyd. Eric Russell, right, an activist with the Tree of Life Justice League, joins them. He also spoke at the protest. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News) Nationwide protests erupted in the summer of 2020, a so-called racial reckoning, shortly after a video of the killing surfaced online. Residents took to the streets demanding systemic change to policing and the prison system. 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

Up For 16 Oscars, ‘Sinners’ Sparks Conversation on Chicago Blues History and Its Future

Blues musician Billy Branch performs. (Provided) While the blues may be having a mainstream moment, the Chicago blues community has long been dedicated to the art form’s preservation, history and future. 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 >