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.
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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.
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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.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 1, 2024 - Full Show
Election results are being disputed in Venezuela — what it could mean for folks here. Efforts to document Latino history. And a new pizza spot serving up a fusion of ingredients.
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Report Shows 110% Rise in Illinois Domestic Violence Deaths as Advocates Call for Action
Advocacy groups are sounding the alarm on a spike in domestic violence cases. A new report from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence says domestic violence deaths in Illinois rose by 110% last year, with 94 incidents of domestic violence leading to 120 deaths in 2023.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, July 25, 2024 - Full Show
CPS says next year’s budget is balanced. Helping families hurt by gun violence. And a public art exhibit uncovers the history of an ancient Mexican civilization.
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From Counseling to Legal Aid, Chicago Organization Helps Families Impacted by Violence as They Work to Heal
Chicago Survivors offers a range of free services to families impacted by violent deaths. The organization partners with the Chicago Police Department by responding to homicide scenes and providing immediate support.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Dec. 11, 2024 - Full Show
Jesse Jackson Jr. makes a public return — seeking forgiveness for himself and others. And the Red Line extension project begins in 2025. We look at residents’ hopes and concerns.
Read more >Black Voices
Jesse Jackson Jr. on Presidential Pardons, Returning to Public Life and What Comes Next
Jesse Jackson Jr. served in Congress for 17 years until he resigned in 2012 amid a criminal investigation. He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to defraud his reelection campaign of $750,000 over a span of 10 years. Now, he's drawing attention to President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Dec. 4, 2024 - Full Show
Some neighbors are pushing back on a new quantum computing development on the Southeast Side. And how a basketball league is working to reduce violence one championship at a time.
Read more >Black Voices
Some South Chicago Residents Are Raising Concerns About New Quantum Computing Development
The plan is to transform the former U.S. Steel South Works site into the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. Officials are calling the campus “history-altering,” but some neighbors want the process to slow down and are raising environmental and displacement concerns.
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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
Advocates Say Black Communities Are Left Out of Regional Transit Reform Debate
Chicago-area public transit agencies are facing a fiscal cliff. The budget gap for CTA, Metra and Pace is at $200 million, according to the Regional Transportation Authority.
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.
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