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

Curating Sounds and Tastes: Meet 2 Chicagoans Working to Make the Obama Presidential Center a Success

Visitors enjoy lunch in Tafari’s Kitchen at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on May 12, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) There are a host of locals who acted as the behind-the-scenes cast to prepare the Obama Presidential Center for its opening ceremony. Read more >

Black Voices

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. Read more >

Latino Voices

Little Village Mourns Toledo, Calls for Unity and Empathy

A mural near a memorial for Adam Toledo. (WTTW News) For the past two weeks, Chicago residents have been reacting to the death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo at the hands of a Chicago police officer. Now, video footage of the shooting is raising more questions about the incident. We discuss the March 29 shooting with Little Village community members. Read more >

Latino Voices

Since 1957, La Criolla Has Brought Latin Flavor to Chicago

Maria and Jose Chaparro took over La Criolla Foods at its original location in the West Loop in 2016. (WTTW News) When Avelino Maldonado started his spice distribution company in Chicago, the biggest waves of Latino immigrants had yet to arrive. Sixty-four years later, Latinos comprise nearly 30% of the city’s population, and La Criolla’s new owners hope to bring their Latin flavor to another generation of cooks. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 10, 2021 - Full Show

Univisión's Alex Hernández hosts Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices. (WTTW News) Calls to reform the police department’s foot pursuit policy. Community organizers lead the charge in getting Latinos vaccinated. A Pilsen mural highlights neighborhood residents. And La Última Palabra. Read more >

Latino Voices

Little Village Community Leaders Say They Want More Than a Foot Pursuit Policy

A vigil for Adam Toledo, the 13-year-old boy fatally shot by police on March 29, takes place in Little Village on Monday, April 5. (WTTW News) The Little Village Community Council wants to meet with Mayor Lori Lightfoot about policing policy changes. They also want to meet with the police department about the shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Read more >

Black Voices

‘Ida B. the Queen’: New Book Examines Legacy of Trailblazing Journalist

We kick off the first installment of our Black Voices Book Club series with a new biography on a Black woman whose legend looms large in Chicago. And it’s written by Michelle Duster, her great-granddaughter.  Read more >

Black Voices

Big Promises: COVID-19 Relief, Vaccines, Jobs, Immigration on Docket

(WTTW News via CNN) Journalists Brandon Pope (WCIU), Glenn Reedus (Chicago Reporter) and Rachel Hinton (Chicago Sun-Times) look at what’s ahead for the country under the new Biden administration. Read more >

Black Voices

Legacy of Muddy Waters to Live On at MOJO Museum

The North Kenwood house Muddy Waters bought will be preserved as a museum, recording studio and more. (WTTW News) A museum honoring the “father of modern Chicago blues” is headed to North Kenwood. Family members of the late musician Muddy Waters tell us what’s in store for the MOJO Museum. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 17, 2021 - Full Show

Revisiting North Lawndale decades after Martin Luther King Jr. moved into the area. A history-making week for Black lawmakers in Springfield. A local poet honors Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. 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

How One Group is Working to Attract More Black Ice Skaters Through Mentorship, Sponsorship and Fun

A skating session at Howard Park in South Bend, Indiana, with the Diversify Ice Fellowship and Foundation. (diversify_ice / Instagram) The Diversify Ice Fellowship and Foundation is now working to make skating more accessible and show what can be achieved through mentorship, sponsorship and fun. 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

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. Read more >

 

Black Voices

South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening

The Women’s Garden at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. 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 >