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

Report Shows 110% Rise in Illinois Domestic Violence Deaths as Advocates Call for Action

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) 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. Read more >

Latino Voices

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. Read more >

Latino Voices

From Counseling to Legal Aid, Chicago Organization Helps Families Impacted by Violence as They Work to Heal

A memorial to 19-year-old Antonio Alvarado, who was killed in November 2023. (WTTW News) 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 >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, July 11, 2024 - Full Show

A new plan to preserve affordable housing. Bringing more young people to the Loop this summer. And a bilingual bookstore is hitting the road. Read more >

Black Voices

Some South Chicago Residents Are Raising Concerns About New Quantum Computing Development

A rendering of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park proposed for the Southeast Side. (Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative) 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. Read more >

Black Voices

Joakim Noah, Cobe Williams Team Up to Teach Young Men Life Skills Through Basketball League

(Courtesy of One City Basketball League) One City Basketball League encourages young men and boys to build inter-community relationships as they pair basketball with programming to help them create a future that’s not defined by violence. Participants learn about financial literacy, trauma-informed conflict resolution and career readiness. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Nov. 20, 2024 - Full Show

New reporting shows efforts to reform the Chicago Police Department are lagging. Celebrating 30 years of the landmark documentary “Hoop Dreams.” And a soaring exhibit about Black excellence in aviation. Read more >

Black Voices

‘Hoop Dreams’ Director, Co-Star Reflect on Documentary’s Legacy 30 Years Later

William Gates was profiled in “Hoop Dreams.” (Courtesy of Steve James) Six years, two high schoolers, one game. That was the winning combination for the groundbreaking documentary “Hoop Dreams” — which just turned 30 years old. The story follows two Chicago teens with dreams of making it in the NBA in the early ‘90s. 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

Service Cuts on the Table as Chicago Confronts $1.15B Budget Shortfall, Alderpeople Say

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) A budget forecast for 2026 projects a $1.15 billion deficit for the city, driven by the end of one-time federal pandemic aid and continued uncertainty over pension payments for Chicago Public Schools employees. 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 >