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

Coffee Company Partners with Chocolateria to Bring Mexican Drinking Chocolate to Chicago

(WTTW News) A chocolateria has made its way to Chicago by way of local coffee company Dark Matter. On the menu? Mexican drinking chocolate that just so happens to be made with cacao beans from Mexico. We visit Sleep Walk for a taste. Read more >

Latino Voices

Sabor Latino: Coquito

(WTTW News) ’Tis the season for the delicious coconut drink that’s a treasured tradition for Puerto Ricans. We share a coquito toast with comedian Mike Oquendo and learn how to whip up a batch at home. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Dec. 19, 2020 - Full Show

What happens when you and your doctor don’t speak the same language. Immigrant teens working illegally in suburban factories. A holiday window display helps artists and businesses during the pandemic. Read more >

Latino Voices

The Importance of Getting Health Care That Speaks Your Language

(WTTW News via CNN) Communication with your health care providers is crucial for good outcomes, but what happens when you don’t speak the same language? Two local doctors talk about breaking through language barriers in medicine. Read more >

Black Voices

Black Women Among America’s Most Active Voters

(WTTW News) Black women are considered the backbone of the Democratic Party, despite what advocates call a resurgence in voter suppression tactics. How they became a formidable force in U.S. elections. Read more >

Black Voices

‘Black People Eats’ Showcases Black-Owned Restaurants in Chicago and Beyond

percent loss in revenue during the pandemic. Food blogger Jeremy Joyce films Krissy Harper, owner of Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, for his social media account Black People Eats on June 27, 2020. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News) Restaurants have not had it easy the past few months. But in Chicago, a food blogger is doing his best to elevate Black-owned restaurants through social media. We meet up with Jeremy Joyce, the founder of Black People Eats. Read more >

Black Voices

The Chicago Reporter Alumni Question Publication’s Hiatus. Owners Call It ‘Manufactured Hysteria’

A screenshot shows the homepage of The Chicago Reporter website on Oct. 7, 2020. (WTTW News) For 48 years, the Chicago Reporter has investigated issues of race and poverty. But last month, the publication was abruptly put on hiatus by the faith-based nonprofit that owns it. Now, dozens of former staffers are demanding answers. Read more >

Black Voices

A Classic Soul Song Gets An Update

Vocalist Tiaybe Bledsoe (WTTW News) Chicago artists are paying tribute to the Pointer Sisters in a remake of a song that underscores the importance of working together. We meet the creatives behind the “Yes We Can” project. 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

Large-Scale Study in Illinois, Other States Seeks to Better Understand Cancer in Black Women

(WTTW News) A major long-term study launched by the American Cancer Society aims to better understand cancer risk factors and outcomes for Black women in the U.S, who continue to face disparities in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survival. 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 >