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.
Read more >Latino Voices
Shoe Repair Dynasty: A Dozen Cobblers Across 3 Generations
A cobbler in his mid-80s inspires a shoe repair dynasty that spans three generations.
Read more >Latino Voices
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Nov. 14, 2020 - Full Show
COVID-19 rages across the state. How President Trump made significant gains with Latino voters. Honoring service members on Veterans Day. And inside a Latino shoe dynasty — right here in Chicago.
Read more >Latino Voices
Chicago Businesses Struggle as COVID-19 Shutdown Appears Imminent
Chicago officials say they’re trying to help small businesses survive what appears will be — as President-elect Joe Biden put it — a very dark winter.
Read more >Latino Voices
Food Insecurity Still High Amid Pandemic in City, Suburbs and Rural Areas Alike
One of the many devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past several months has been a dramatic increase in food insecurity.
Read more >Black Voices
Black Voices: First Week in 2020 School Year Tests CPS
How did the first week of virtual school go at Chicago Public Schools? We speak with a panel of CPS students about their experiences.
Read more >Black Voices
Black Voices: Northwestern, Booth Alum Named NFL Team President
From the football field to the front office: We speak with Jason Wright, the NFL’s first Black team president.
Read more >Black Voices
Black People More Likely Get Colon Cancer in Cook County
In Cook County, Black people are 26% more likely to get colon and rectum cancer than white people, according to the CDC. “Screening rates a bit lower, but they’re not that much lower,” said Dr. Ed McDonald, a gastroenterologist. “There’s something else going on.”
Read more >Black Voices
Virtual Bronzeville Art District Trolley Pays Homage to South Side Artists
For the last 15 years, Chicagoans have explored the art of one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods thanks to a trolley. But this year, the Bronzeville Art District Trolley tour is going virtual.
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
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
Kim Foxx Floats Changes to How Her Office Prosecutes Crime, Drug Cases Tied to Traffic Stops
Under a new proposal from Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, prosecutors would not file drug, gun and theft charges stemming from an initial traffic stop where there was no other probable cause to make the stop.
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.
Read more >