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

How a Chicago Business Owner is Helping Kids Access Bilingual Books

“We make sure that all our bilingual books are written by Latino authors and that they speak to our experiences,” Laura Romaní said. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 29, 2024 - Full Show

Chicago is facing a nearly billion-dollar budget shortfall. A local anti-violence advocate fresh off the DNC stage. And how a Chicago business owner is helping kids access bilingual books. Read more >

Latino Voices

Growing Latino Voting Bloc Could Be Critical to Outcome of Presidential Election

(WTTW News) Pew Research estimates Latinos make up nearly 15% of the eligible voting population in the United States, with roughly 36.2 million Latino voters. That’s up from 32.3 million in 2020. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 15, 2024 - Full Show

One on one with the chair of the state’s Democratic Party ahead of the DNC. What issues are most important to Latinos this election cycle. And a local restaurant puts a Caribbean twist on brunch. Read more >

Black Voices

Johnson’s Anti-Violence Effort ‘Just Getting Started,’ 1 Year After It Began, Officials Say

Joseph Mapp, Chicago’s director of reentry, and Deputy Mayor Garien Gatewood appear on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Jan. 22, 2025. (WTTW News) A 33-page evaluation of the first year of the push dubbed the People’s Plan for Community Safety promises to continue working to reduce crime and violence by “addressing the root causes of harm and investing in communities and people.” Read more >

Black Voices

Retracing Martin Luther King’s Time in Chicago With Shermann ‘Dilla’ Thomas

Shermann “Dilla” Thomas gives a Martin Luther King Jr. tour in Chicago. (WTTW News) Almost six decades later, urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas is making sure new generations know the details of Martin Luther King Jr.’s time in Chicago through his educational tours of the city’s neighborhoods. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 15, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Jan. 15, 2025. (WTTW News) City Council votes on an effort to weaken protections for undocumented immigrants. Why Black Illinoisans are experiencing homelessness at a high rate. And a push to wipe medical debt from credit reports. Read more >

Black Voices

Black Illinois Residents Are Experiencing Homelessness at Higher Rates: Report

A homeless encampment is seen in a file photo. (WTTW News) The report from the University of Illinois Chicago showed a number of structural issues contributing to this disparity — a lack of affordable housing and sufficient income chief among them. 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

Viral Videos of Women in Labor Being Denied Care Renews Conversation Around Black Maternal Health Care

(PeopleImages / iStock) These two recent cases are bringing renewed attention to the treatment of Black pregnant women and igniting conversations around medical racism. 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 >