Latino Voices
Latino Voices
Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive
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.
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Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
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
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.
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Chicago State University Gears Up for First-Ever Football Game
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.
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New Bill Would Ban Guns From Illinois Polling Places
State Rep. Bob Morgan said banning guns at polling places is necessary given rising security concerns surrounding elections. Gun rights advocates said the proposal is an answer in search of a problem.
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Book-to-Film Adaptation Puts Chicago Author on Path to Hollywood With ‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’
In 2017, poet and author Erika L. Sánchez published her first novel, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.” Now, Hollywood is calling, with a book-to-film adaptation with award-winning actress America Ferrera on board to make her big-screen directing debut.
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What Goes Into Setting Car Insurance Rates and How Illinois May Change It
Illinois’ insurance code prohibits discrimination, but state Rep. Will Guzzardi said there’s a difference between impact and intent. Even if insurance agents aren’t doing it maliciously, Guzzardi said, algorithms end up perpetuating inequities and punishing people of color and low-income drivers.
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‘Do You Want to be Informed or You Want to be Influenced?’: Navigating Social Media Misinformation
Nearly half of surveyed Latinos rely on social media sites like TikTok and WhatsApp for their news and information. This has allowed for the spread of misinformation and disinformation, where fact checking in Spanish is less available.
Read more >Black Voices
New Book Explores Ways to Reduce Mass Incarceration: ‘We Understand the Destruction and the Consequences’
Black people in Illinois are incarcerated at a rate seven and a half times higher than their White counterparts, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. And the national incarceration rate of Black people is six times the rate of White people.
Read more >Black Voices
Bronzeville Renaissance Mural Depicts Community’s Innovative Past and a Hopeful Future
The mural was created by two Chicago artists — Rahmaan “Statik” Barnes and Shawn Michael Warren — with help from high school students. It helps conceal a ComEd battery storage facility that is part of the Bronzeville Community Microgrid.
Read more >Black Voices
Haitian Chicagoans Shine Light on the Country as Large Portions of Capital City Remain Under Gang Control
Today, 80% of Port-au-Prince remains under gang control, ravaged by the ongoing violence, according to interim Prime Minister Garry Conille.
Read more >Black Voices
South Suburban Mayors Try to Push Back on Property Tax Bill Spikes in Their Communities
In 15 towns, of which all but two are home to a majority of Black residents, the increase to property tax bills was 30%. But some local leaders are pledging not to raise municipal taxes in order to ease the impact on community members.
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Latino Voices
Black Voices
Latino Voices
Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive
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, Aug. 27, 2025 - Full Show
How local officials plan to push back if the National Guard is deployed here. And the head of Chicago Public Schools on a crucial budget vote.
Read more >Latino Voices
Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
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
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
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
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.
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