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.
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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 Flats Initiative Aims to Preserve Affordable Multifamily Housing
As the state’s eviction moratorium winds down, a housing crisis looms in Chicago. Now, a coalition of community organizations is trying to keep at-risk families in their homes and save the multifamily housing stock that helped build Chicago.
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National Museum of Mexican Art Prepares to Reopen Its Doors
When it reopens its doors July 1, the National Museum of Mexican Art will be kicking off operations with a major financial boost after it received an $8 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, May 29, 2021 - Full Show
Is it safe to ditch your mask? Local doctors on why it may be premature. Plus, Latino veterans pushing for a new American Legion post. And summer jams for your next road trip.
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5 Songs for Your Summer Playlist
Music journalist Sandra Treviño shares five new songs perfect for a road trip or beach day to get your summer playlist started.
Read more >Black Voices
Diversity in Development: How Black and Latino Developers Can Change the Map
When city leaders and developers discuss new plans for major real estate projects, some groups are often left out of the discussion. What’s being done to bring more Black and Latino developers into the industry.
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The Last Word: Shermann Thomas
Urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas gives us the last word on how knowing the city’s past can change the energy of its future.
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Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 11, 2021 - Full Show
What’s being done to bring more Black and Latino developers into the real estate industry. Cook County’s new public defender. A call for more big brothers and sisters. Bringing energy to history.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 4, 2021 - Full Show
New arts leaders weigh in on the comeback of Chicago’s art scene. We remember Loyola’s 1963 championship team and the adversity they faced. Rare color photos of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Elmhurst.
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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 Fed Money Museum Debuts Exhibit on Black Baseball History
In 2020, the United States Mint created a commemorative coin collection to honor the Negro National League on the centennial anniversary of its founding. An exhibit of those coins opened at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Money Museum this month.
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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