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

‘Other Washingtons’ Art Installation Aims to Reimagine Who We Choose to Remember

Amanda Williams' new art installation around the George Washington statue in Washington Park features artists, inventors, educators and leaders. (WTTW News) “Other Washingtons” is an art intervention located around the George Washington statue at 51st Street and Martin Luther King Drive that features artists, inventors, educators and other inspirational leaders, all with the last name Washington. Read more >

Black Voices

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. Read more >

Latino Voices

Latino Evangelicals Are a Growing Voting Bloc, Could Play a Role in November’s Election

File photos of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. (WTTW News) Latinos are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the country, and the demographic has become a key voting bloc to secure a candidate’s path to the White House. However, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris may need to court a lesser-known subgroup: Latino evangelicals. Read more >

Latino Voices

From Festivals to a Parade, Here’s How Chicagoans Are Celebrating Mexican Independence Day

A file photo of the Little Village arch. (WTTW News) You’ve probably seen a lot of Mexican flags around Chicago this week. That’s because celebrations for Mexican Independence Day are kicking off this weekend. Some street closures and traffic disruptions are expected in parts of the city as thousands will participate in the festivities. Read more >

Latino Voices

Immigration Has Become a Key Point in the Presidential Race. Here’s How Some Chicagoans See the Issue

(CNN) From mass deportation to a pathway to citizenship, immigration has been a defining issue in this year’s presidential campaign.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Sept. 5, 2024 - Full Show

We explore Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ immigration plans. And amid some major food recalls, a look at what can be done locally to access healthy foods. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 29, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Jan. 29, 2025. (WTTW News) The White House rescinds its memo freezing federal funding. And a plan to hold companies complicit in slavery to account. Read more >

Black Voices

Were You Ever Told to Avoid the South or West Sides? New Book Shares Stories of Disrupting Segregation

A file image of the Back of the Yards neighborhood. (WTTW News) Artist and photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson and sociologist Maria Krysan compiled Chicagoans’ stories in their new book. The goal was to better understand what can happen when people explore often ignored parts of the city. Read more >

Black Voices

Companies That Participated in the Slave Trade Could Face New Rules in Illinois Under Proposal

State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (WTTW News) State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago), sponsor of the Enslavement Era Disclosure and Redress Act, said it’s a way for corporations that profited on the backs of enslaved people to help repair the legacy of harm caused for generations of Black Americans. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 22, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Jan. 22, 2025. (WTTW News) The city’s new director of reentry on his plans for those returning from prison. Black migration’s profound impact on American culture. And a play takes us into the world of an African salon. 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

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 8, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Oct. 8, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Texas National Guard troops are in Illinois despite objections from local leaders — what you should know. And advocates push for more equitable public transit reform. 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

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. Read more >

 

Black Voices

Free Boxing Club Empowers West Side Youth: ‘They Feel the Confidence’

(WTTW News) Roy Flowers started his boxing club in 2021 in the hopes of creating healthy, supportive spaces for the youth in his community. “I just wanted to be the mentor that I wish I had.” 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 >