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

In Chicago, Some Businesses Report Pandemic-Era Drop in Sales Amid Immigration Raids

(WTTW News) “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.” Read more >

Latino Voices

Homeland Security Terminates Automatic Work Permit Renewals; Advocates Say Move Could Broaden Deportation Efforts

(memoriesarecaptured / iStock) The Trump administration says this move allows better vetting of those using work permits. However, some are skeptical of that reasoning. Read more >

Latino Voices

Pilsen Museum Celebrates Día de los Muertos With Vibrant Artwork, Community Ofrenda

“Día de Muertos: A Celebration of Remembrance” is on display at the National Museum of Mexican Art through Dec. 14, 2025. (WTTW News) 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 >

Latino Voices

Federal Immigration Agents Targeted Northwest Side Neighborhoods. Residents Banded Together to Push Back

A sign reads "Stop Deportations Defend Immigrants" on Chicago's Northwest Side. (WTTW News) Luis Kevin Islas says lately the Rogers Park neighborhood is like a “ghost town.” In recent weeks, the area has seen an increase in federal immigration agents and raids. Read more >

Black Voices

CPD Policy That Does Not Ban No-Knock Warrants Leaves Anjanette Young ‘Frustrated’

Anjanette Young joins “Chicago Tonight” on Feb. 3, 2026. (WTTW News) A new Chicago Police Department policy that does not ban officers from serving no-knock warrants or from pointing guns at children during raids is now final. Read more >

Black Voices

Black History Month Short Film Series Spotlight Directors Shaping Chicago’s Film Scene

A still from the short film “We Call Each Other” directed by Sarah Oberholtzer, screening at the short film series “Life Within the Lens” at Music Box Theater on Feb. 23 for Black History Month. (Courtesy of Sarah Oberholtzer) 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

South Shore educator Wayne Issa. (WTTW News) “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

Director of Reentry Joseph Mapp appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Jan. 14, 2026. (WTTW News) 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 >

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

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. 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 >