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

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 4, 2024 - Full Show

What Chicago is doing to combat a spike in measles cases. Everything you need to know about the solar eclipse that’s just days away. And a Venezuelan artist captures his journey to America. Read more >

Latino Voices

Venezuelan Migrant Depicts His Journey to Chicago in Series of Paintings

Artist Yeison Perez, 31, is a Venezuelan migrant whose work will be on display at Starting Point Community Church from April 5-6, 2024. (WTTW News) Last year, a Belmont Cragin pastor opened his church’s doors to house a group of migrants who were sleeping at a police station. One of the men has now created a series of paintings describing his journey to America. His artwork will be on display this weekend. Read more >

Latino Voices

Examining Donald Trump’s Support Among Latinos in Light of a New Poll

A Chicago polling place on March 19, 2024. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) According to a poll by The New York Times and Siena College, Hispanic voters could be favoring former President Donald J. Trump over President Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election, but sample size limits exact conclusions about the support.  Read more >

Latino Voices

It’s Increasingly Difficult for Bilingual Parents to Raise Bilingual Children, Research on Chicago Spanish Speakers Finds

(WTTW News) Research shows it’s becoming harder for bilingual speakers to raise bilingual children — but also points to factors that can improve opportunities for Spanish development. Read more >

Black Voices

Black Businesses Hoping to Get a Boost From the DNC

(Courtesy of Sweet Beginnings) Next week’s Democratic National Convention is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to Chicago. Looking to get a slice of the economic action, as well as network with folks from across the country, are many Black business owners. Read more >

Black Voices

Advocates Hope New Illinois Law Helps Lower Maternal Mortality Rate for Black Women

An infant and audience member sit in the crowd of a news conference in Chicago’s Fulton Market District neighborhood. Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 5142 into law, with the hope of lowering infant and maternal mortality rates across the state. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Dilpreet Raju) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are two-and-a-half times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women. A new state law aims to remedy that by expanding insurance coverage during and after pregnancy.  Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Aug. 7, 2024 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman (WTTW News) Why Black Lives Matter is not endorsing Kamala Harris for president. A new state law aims to lower mortality rates for mothers and their newborns. And a community space opens in Bronzeville.  Read more >

Black Voices

Black Lives Matter Group Declines to Endorse Kamala Harris, Questions Nominating Process

Black Lives Matter members protest. (Credit: Black Lives Matter, Greater New York) While the majority of Black voters tend to vote Democratic, not all are lining up to endorse Harris. In a recent statement, the advocacy group Black Lives Matter has called into question Harris’ candidacy and the process by which she’s been nominated. 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

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 3, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Sept. 3, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Community groups prepare for federal troops in Chicago. And the city’s minimum wage for tipped workers is going up — a look at the impact. 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 >