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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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, July 31, 2021 - Full Show
A plan of action for climate change in Illinois. An exit interview with a 30-year veteran of the city. And a group of street vendors are now the proud owners of a shared kitchen.
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How Communities Are Taking Action Against Climate Change and Steps Toward Environmental Justice
Black and Latino neighborhoods in Chicago are more likely to be burdened by industries that pollute the air, ground and water, making environmental justice an important part of the equation as the country moves forward.
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After More Than 30 Years With the City, BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareño Retires
While she was originally planning to stay for just the first year of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s term, the pandemic delayed Rosa Escareño’s retirement plans – and gave her a firsthand seat to the massive blow COVID-19 dealt to the local economy.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, July 24, 2021 - Full Show
The state’s ban on evictions is set to end — what renters need to know. A rundown of safety protocols for Chicago Public Schools. A local musician infuses modern jazz with South American rhythms.
Read more >Black Voices
Fully Free Campaign Seeks to End System of ‘Permanent Punishments’
In the U.S., many people view incarceration as the punishment one receives for breaking the law. But a recently released study indicates that for the more than 3.3 million people with criminal records in Illinois, punishment continues well beyond time served.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, June 27, 2021 - Full Show
Helping people who’ve been involved with the criminal legal system get a fresh start. A new book from the late novelist Richard Wright. And The Last Word on mental health in the Black community.
Read more >Black Voices
60 Years Later, Influential Author’s Take on Race, Police Still Relevant
A novel by Richard Wright, published more than 61 years after his death, is this month’s Black Voices Book Club selection. We discuss “The Man Who Lived Underground” with the grandson of this influential author.
Read more >Black Voices
Cemetery Tour Traces 155 Years of History Since the First Juneteenth
From the Civil War to the civil rights movement and everything in between, the lives of these prominent Black Chicagoans are educating others. We visit Oak Woods Cemetery for a lesson.
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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
Black Lives Matter Group Declines to Endorse Kamala Harris, Questions Nominating Process
While the majority of Black voters tend to vote Democratic, not all are lining up to endorse Harris. In a recent statement, the advocacy group Black Lives Matter has called into question Harris’ candidacy and the process by which she’s been nominated.
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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