Latino Voices

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 >

Latino Voices

As Mexico City Prepares to Host World Cup, Residents Say Construction Is Taking a Toll

(Medill School of Journalism) Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation. Read more >

Black Voices

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 >

Black Voices

South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening

The Women’s Garden at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. Read more >

Latino Voices

Local Illustrator Explores Growing Up in an Immigrant Household in New Children’s Book

An image from “Tíos and Primos” by Jacqueline Alcántara. (Courtesy of Penguin Random House) Writer and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara draws from her own childhood to help kids navigate their diverse identities in her new book called “Tíos and Primos” — Spanish for “aunts, uncles and cousins.” Read more >

Latino Voices

Cinco de Mayo Parade Canceled in Chicago Amid Deportation Fears: ‘There is Nothing to Celebrate’

A file photo of Little Village. (WTTW News) “It’s definitely a tradition we don’t want to lose but with this administration, it’s better to keep our people safe,” said Hector Escobar, president of Casa Puebla and the Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce. Read more >

Latino Voices

CPD Officers Would Not Be Banned From Making Traffic Stops to Find Evidence of Unrelated Crimes: Proposed Policy

(WTTW News) Chicago police officers would not be banned from making traffic stops based on minor registration or equipment violations that are designed to fund evidence of “unrelated” crimes, under a new policy unveiled Thursday by Chicago Police Department leaders. Read more >

Latino Voices

Upcoming Exhibit Will Showcase Latino Stories. Share Your Photos, Memories With the Chicago History Museum

(Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum and the Kichwa Community) Glamorous Quinceañera dresses and an Indigenous ceremonial mask are among the items that will be on display in “Aquí en Chicago,” an upcoming Chicago History Museum exhibit celebrating the long history of Latinos in the city. Read more >

Black Voices

Robin Givhan Explores Life, Legacy of Fashion Icon Virgil Abloh in New Book

Left: “Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh” book cover. (Provided) Right: Robin Givhan appears on "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Oct. 8, 2025. (WTTW News) Virgil Abloh shifted the meaning of luxury and who gets to participate in it. The streetwear-loving son of Ghanaian immigrants had a meteoric rise in the fashion industry — aptly calling himself a fashion “maker” rather than designer. Read more >

Black Voices

Advocates Say Black Communities Are Left Out of Regional Transit Reform Debate

File photo of a CTA train in Chicago. (WTTW News) Chicago-area public transit agencies are facing a fiscal cliff. The budget gap for CTA, Metra and Pace is at $200 million, according to the Regional Transportation Authority. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 1, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Oct. 1, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Chicago City Council prepares to navigate a billion-dollar budget deficit. And local businessman Willie Wilson on his vision to curb crime in the city. Read more >

Black Voices

Willie Wilson on Public Safety in Chicago, National Guard Troops: ‘This Is Very Personal to Me’

Willie Wilson appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Oct. 1, 2025. (WTTW News) Local businessman and former Chicago mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, 79, welcomes the possibility of soldiers in the city. “This is very personal to me,” Wilson said. “I’ve lost a son to violence.” 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

‘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 >

Black Voices

New Book Examines the Tulsa Race Massacre and Legal Battle Over Reparations

(Courtesy of the Department of Special Collections, McFarlin Library, the University of Tulsa) It’s been nearly 105 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre claimed the lives of hundreds of Black Tulsans. Over the course of two days in 1921, a mob of White people terrorized and burned down a thriving Black community known colloquially as Black Wall Street. Read more >

Latino Voices

As Mexico City Prepares to Host World Cup, Residents Say Construction Is Taking a Toll

(Medill School of Journalism) Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation. Read more >

Black Voices

South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening

The Women’s Garden at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. Read more >

 

Black Voices

New Columbia College President on Her Vision for the School’s Future

Shantay Bolton appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 2, 2026. (WTTW News) Shantay Bolton was appointed the 11th president and CEO of Columbia College Chicago at what she calls a “pivotal moment” for the school. Bolton, who is the first woman of color to lead the minority-serving institution, inherits a campus that has seen enrollment steadily decline over the last decade. Read more >

Latino Voices

From Dancehall to Reggaeton, Exhibit Explores the Power of Music as Protest

Matthew McCarthy and Maxine Walters, “The Most High–a serious t’ing,” 2026. Installation view, “Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón,” MCA Chicago, April 14-Sept. 20, 2026. (Michael Tropea / MCA Chicago) The Museum of Contemporary Art is showcasing a new exhibition tracing the visual, political and spiritual origins of popular Caribbean music. Art installations are designed to immerse visitors in sound and movement. Read more >