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

In Final Campaign Stretch, Harris and Trump Work to Win Over Latino Voters

With just five days until the election, Chicagoans have already cast more than 320,000 ballots. Read more >

Latino Voices

Hermosa Nonprofit Says It May Have to Close Its Doors Without Additional Funding

Hermosa Neighborhood Association. (WTTW News) Residents on the city’s Northwest Side may be losing access to programs provided by a local community organization. The nonprofit Hermosa Neighborhood Association says it’s set to lose state funding in June. As the grant end date approaches, community organizers are working to figure out what comes next. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Oct. 24, 2024 - Full Show

Chicago has a new shelter plan for migrants and unhoused residents. And are efforts to save monarch butterflies doing more harm than good? A new study suggests that’s the case. Read more >

Latino Voices

Deputy Mayor on Chicago’s New Shelter Approach for Migrants, Unhoused Residents

Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights Beatriz Ponce de León appears on “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” on Oct. 24, 2024. (WTTW News) Chicago is set to overhaul its migrant shelter system by the end of this year, capping guaranteed beds at 3,800 for asylum seekers who have been in the city for less than 30 days. This shift is part of the new One System Initiative, designed to streamline services for both migrants and long-term unhoused residents. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 2, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on April 2, 2025. (WTTW News) Chicago Teachers Union delegates vote on a new contract. And changes are coming for Cook County’s electronic monitoring program. Read more >

Black Voices

Chief Judge’s Office Takes Over Electronic Monitoring in Cook County Amid Staffing Concerns

Leighton Criminal Court Building (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is ending its decades-old electronic monitoring program, giving the Chief Judge’s Office sole responsibility for managing its cases. Read more >

Black Voices

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon on New DEI Initiatives, Suburban Voter Turnout

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon appears on "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on April 2, 2025. (WTTW News) Last month, Monica Gordon marked 100 days in office. In that time, she said, she’s seen an increase in requests for records like birth certificates and marriage licenses. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Event Aims to Inspire, Empower Teen Girls: ‘We Are the Change’

Girls attend a "Bold and Brave" events hosted by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. (WTTW News) The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services says one of its goals is to empower the next generation of young women. 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

Black History Month Rings in 100 Years as Educators Push to Preserve Heritage

A file photo of Ida B. Wells. There are efforts from the federal government to reshape how history is taught and examined by institutions. 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 >