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

Thousands of Illinois Students at Risk of Losing Access to After-School Programs

Susan Stanton, executive director of the advocacy group ACT Now, on May 7, 2024, leads a rally calling on state lawmakers to provide funding to prevent after-school programs that serve an estimated 40,000 students statewide from being forced to close this summer. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois) Advocates say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. Read more >

Latino Voices

Mental Health Care Access is Key for Shooting Survivors’ Healing, Gun Violence Prevention

(WTTW News) Mental health struggles can play a big role in a gun violence survivor’s recovery, but navigating that journey isn’t the same for everyone. Finding the right care can be difficult, and often involves unpacking complex trauma. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, May 2, 2024 - Full Show

In the latest in our “A Safer City” series, we explore the many challenges facing survivors of gun violence and what resources are available on their journeys toward healing. Read more >

Latino Voices

Many of Chicago’s Gun Violence Survivors Left With Unmet Physical and Emotional Needs, Study Finds

(WTTW News) And a new study by the disability nonprofit Access Living finds many of Chicago’s gun violence survivors who suffer from physical injuries and long-term disabilities have needs that are not being met. Read more >

Black Voices

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

Alderpeople sound off on ShotSpotter just days before it’s set to turn off. And Illinois eliminated cash bail a year ago — a look at how it’s working. Read more >

Black Voices

‘Chicago Style’ Showcases Black Fashion Through the Decades

(WTTW News) Two friends have combined their love of fashion by incorporating film and the runway to take people on a journey back to see Black fashion on Chicago’s South Side decades ago. The “Chicago Style” film and fashion show runs from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Read more >

Black Voices

Illinois Child Care Advocates Say Higher Wages Needed to Overcome Staffing Shortage

Child care file photo. (WTTW News) Advocates in Illinois are pushing for higher wages and better benefits in an effort to retain child care workers. The effort comes after a center in Bronzeville recently shut its doors, the CEO says, due to a lack of staff.  Read more >

Black Voices

Black Restaurant Week Returns to Chicago, Showcasing More Than 60 Eateries

A still from the Black Restaurant Week trailer. (Courtesy of Black Restaurant Week) Black Restaurant Week was conceived in 2016 in Houston to address the financial hurdles faced by many Black chefs and restaurateurs. 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

Black-Led HIV Prevention Groups Push for More Equitable Funding Amid Federal Cuts

(Jacob Wackerhausen / iStock) Illinois Department of Public Health data shows Black and Hispanic people make up about 73% of HIV and AIDS cases diagnosed in the state since 2018. But U.S. Census data shows the state is only 14% Black and 18% Hispanic. 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 >