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

Suicide Rates Rising Among Black and Latino Chicagoans, Study Finds

(WTTW News) Mental health resources and early intervention can play a crucial role in preventing suicides, but researchers say those services are becoming harder to access. Read more >

Latino Voices

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

Johnson is preparing to call on City Council for additional funds for migrant care. What’s behind increasing suicide rates among Black and Latino Chicagoans. And grab your popcorn — the Chicago Latino Film Festival kicks off today. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Latino Film Festival Celebrates 40 Years

The 40th annual Chicago Latino Film Festival kicks off April 11, 2024. Here, a sign for the festival hangs at the Davis Theater in Lincoln Square. (WTTW News) This year’s lineup includes 50 feature films and 35 short films from artists in Latin America, the U.S., Spain and Portugal. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Has Recorded 56 Cases of Measles This Year, More Than Half of the National Total

Measles vaccine. (CNN) The Chicago Department of Public Health says they are fighting the spread through testing and vaccinations — particularly in the Pilsen migrant shelter where the majority of cases are emerging. Read more >

Black Voices

As Harris Campaign Vows to Tackle National Housing Crisis, Chicagoans Weigh in on Proposals

Vice President Kamala Harris made her case for the presidency last week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago where she zeroed in on a problem plaguing many Americans: affordable housing. Read more >

Black Voices

Harris, Trump Campaigns Pushing to Secure Black Male Voters in Presidential Election

Pew Research projects more than 34.4 million Black Americans will be eligible to vote this November. Black men are emerging as a potentially key voting bloc in this year’s presidential race. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Aug. 14, 2024 - Full Show

Local efforts to engage the city’s Black voters. And meet Chicago entrepreneurs hoping to make an impression at next week’s Democratic National Convention. Read more >

Black Voices

How Advocates Are Working to Organize, Energize Black Voters in 2024 Election

A Chicago church is launching a strategic voting initiative, bringing in local and national star power like the Rev. Al Sharpton to engage more Black voters and encourage them to coalesce around one candidate. 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

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

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 >