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

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 8, 2024 - Full Show

Joanna Hernandez (WTTW News) CPD and the Secret Service on security plans for the upcoming Democratic National Convention. And how the city is preparing for a possible surge in migrants ahead of the DNC.  Read more >

Latino Voices

After Noticing a Lack or Representation for Chicago Latinos in Historical Records, Group Aims to Preserve and Share Their Stories

(WTTW News) A series of events inspired the four co-founders to start Raíces Chicago Story Coalition, a nonprofit capacity-building organization that supports archival and storytelling projects by and about Latino communities.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Election Results Are Being Disputed in Venezuela. What It Could Mean for the US and Chicago

File photo of protests in Venezuela. (WTTW News) Protests erupted in Venezuela over the results of the country’s latest presidential election. Current president Nicolas Maduro declared victory — but his opposition is raising concerns over the accuracy of those results. Read more >

Latino Voices

At Pilsen Pizza Cafe, Owners Embrace Their Mexican and Filipino Heritage

Inside Novel Pizza Cafe in Pilsen. (WTTW News) Novel Pizza Cafe is putting a modern twist on an Italian classic. The Pilsen spot is decked out with ‘90s-inspired throwbacks, and the food embraces a fusion of the owners’ Mexican and Filipino cultures. Read more >

Black Voices

Advocate Health Care Announces $1B Investment to Expand South Side Services, Replace Trinity Hospital

(Rendering courtesy of Advocate Health Care) Chicago’s South Side residents have a 30-year life expectancy gap compared to their North Side counterparts. Advocate Health Care is working to address that disparity with a new $1 billion investment plan that includes replacing Advocate Trinity Hospital with a new facility. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Dec. 18, 2024 - Full Show

The city’s budget director on what’s in the 2025 spending plan. We tour the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s new facility. And plans to improve health disparities on the South Side. Read more >

Black Voices

A Look Inside Greater Chicago Food Depository’s New Facility, Delivering Nourishing Meals Across the City

People work at the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s new facility. (WTTW News) The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a non-stop operation serving hundreds of organizations across Chicago and Cook County. With food insecurity still rising, the food bank has opened a new facility focused on preparing hot meals. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Budget Director on Tense Negotiations: ‘Hindsight is 20/20’

Chicago budget director Annette Guzman appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Dec. 18, 2024. (WTTW News) Chicago’s $17.1 billion spending plan is now in place for 2025 — but it didn’t come easily. Forceful pushback from alderpeople blocked property tax hikes — but the budget still includes $165.5 million in additional taxes and fees to generate revenue. 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

Robin Givhan Explores Life, Legacy of Fashion Icon Virgil Abloh in New Book

Left: “Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh” book cover. (Provided) Right: Robin Givhan appears on "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Oct. 8, 2025. (WTTW News) Virgil Abloh shifted the meaning of luxury and who gets to participate in it. The streetwear-loving son of Ghanaian immigrants had a meteoric rise in the fashion industry — aptly calling himself a fashion “maker” rather than designer. 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 >