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

After Devastating Crash, Co-Founder of Cooperative Distiller Still Working to Bring Caribbean-Style Rum and Aspirational Practices to Chicago

Daniel Regueira, Chicago Cane Cooperative co-founder, is pictured in May 2023. (Erica Gunderson / WTTW News) A recent accident gave local rum distillery Chicago Cane Cooperative a big challenge just months after starting. But the owners of the business are moving forward with their big plans. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Dec. 14, 2023 - Full Show

City Council rejects an effort to ask voters whether Chicago should stay a sanctuary city. And a new plan for community safety. Read more >

Latino Voices

Drawing Foot Traffic to Chicago Small Businesses Through ‘Holiday Activations’

2021 Holiday Posada in Little Village. (Courtesy of Little Village Chamber of Commerce) According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, when you spend $100 at a small business, $48 stays in the community versus when you spend the same $100 at a big-box store or national retailer, only $14 stays. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Dec. 7, 2023 - Full Show

Tackling a huge drop in public transit funding. Reflecting on the work of Juanita Irizarry as she steps away from Friends of the Parks. And how a new initiative is driving holiday foot traffic to commercial corridors. Read more >

Black Voices

New Book Celebrates Chicago’s Black Culture and Influence

Author and journalist Arionne Nettles appears on “Black Voices” on March 27, 2024. (WTTW News) Chicago native Arionne Nettles pens a love letter to Chicago in her newest book titled, “We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything.” Read more >

Black Voices

What Efforts to Expand Access to Sickle Cell Treatment Could Mean for Illinois Patients

File photo of a person getting a blood transfusion. (WTTW News) Sickle cell disease affects about 5,000 people across Illinois — and it’s mostly impacting Black communities. While gene therapies have emerged to treat the disease, high costs can limit access. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, March 27, 2024 - Full Show

Gentrification concerns in South Shore as Obama Presidential Center construction continues. Efforts to increase access to sickle cell disease treatment. And a new book celebrates Black Chicago’s influence. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, March 20, 2024 - Full Show

Mayor Brandon Johnson doubles down on his progressive agenda. What’s next for the Bring Chicago Home campaign. And a peek at Steppenwolf’s new show before it’s even finished. 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

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Elects First Black Presiding Bishop, a Chicago Native

The Rev. Yehiel Curry appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Aug. 6, 2025. (WTTW News) Bishop Yehiel Curry will start his new role in October. “In many ways, this is an example of the church saying, ‘We see you,’” Curry said. 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 >