Latino Voices
Latino Voices
‘Like Lightning Struck’: Community Marks 60 Years Since the First Division Street Riot, Puerto Rican Rebellion
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.
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As Mexico City Prepares to Host World Cup, Residents Say Construction Is Taking a Toll
Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation.
Read more >Black Voices
Black Voices
From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center
WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between.
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South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening
Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center.
Read more >Latino Voices
Volunteers Help Immigrant Parents Get Their Kids to School With the ‘Walking School Bus’
“The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vendors. And it really did change. It just became a really quiet place.”
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In Chicago, Some Businesses Report Pandemic-Era Drop in Sales Amid Immigration Raids
“I thought after COVID, like, alright, we’re in the clear,” said Adrian Zamudio, owner of Angelo’s Stuffed Pizza in Archer Heights. “We don’t have to think of anything spontaneous or something to survive anymore. A couple years later, here we are again.”
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Homeland Security Terminates Automatic Work Permit Renewals; Advocates Say Move Could Broaden Deportation Efforts
The Trump administration says this move allows better vetting of those using work permits. However, some are skeptical of that reasoning.
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Pilsen Museum Celebrates Día de los Muertos With Vibrant Artwork, Community Ofrenda
El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition that dates back centuries. The Mexican holiday honors deceased loved ones by creating altars and sharing memories.
Read more >Black Voices
Black History Month Short Film Series Spotlight Directors Shaping Chicago’s Film Scene
In celebration of Black History Month, Chicago filmmakers will be showing their short films at Music Box Theater and Facets.
Read more >Black Voices
CPS Has a Small Proportion of Black Male Teachers. Educators Say the Representation Is Important
“The more children can see folks that look like them, that talk like them, that understand the cultural nuances they have, the easier it becomes to teach them, the easier it becomes to reach them,” longtime South Shore educator Wayne Issa said.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago’s Director of Reentry on the Importance of Mental Health and Creating Support for Women
Joseph Mapp heads Chicago’s Office of Reentry. The office is tasked with investing in formerly incarcerated people and providing access to services — including housing, mental health support and job training.
Read more >Black Voices
Residents of South Shore Building Raided by ICE Must Move Out by Friday, Judge Rules
Judge Debra Ann Seaton denied a 60-day extension request saying “it would be inhumane for this court not to relocate people as quickly as possible,” citing gas leaks and plumbing issues. Many residents said they had nowhere to go.
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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
‘Like Lightning Struck’: Community Marks 60 Years Since the First Division Street Riot, Puerto Rican Rebellion
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 >Black Voices
Redistricting War Accelerates Winner-Take-All Political Combat That’s Straining American Democracy
President Donald Trump ignited the conflict over redistricting last year by urging Republicans to redraw congressional maps to reduce the likelihood that his party loses the U.S. House in the November midterm elections.
Read more >Latino Voices
As Mexico City Prepares to Host World Cup, Residents Say Construction Is Taking a Toll
Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation.
Read more >Black Voices
South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening
Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center.
Read more >
Black Voices
New Columbia College President on Her Vision for the School’s Future
Shantay Bolton was appointed the 11th president and CEO of Columbia College Chicago at what she calls a “pivotal moment” for the school. Bolton, who is the first woman of color to lead the minority-serving institution, inherits a campus that has seen enrollment steadily decline over the last decade.
Read more >Latino Voices
From Dancehall to Reggaeton, Exhibit Explores the Power of Music as Protest
The Museum of Contemporary Art is showcasing a new exhibition tracing the visual, political and spiritual origins of popular Caribbean music. Art installations are designed to immerse visitors in sound and movement.
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