Latino Voices

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 >

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

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

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Oct. 5, 2023 - Full Show

Chicago Public Schools suspends two security guards who were previously fired from CPD. The latest on Chicago's migrant crisis. And a look at U.S. foreign policy in Venezuela. Read more >

Latino Voices

For Spanish Speakers, the Right Word Often Depends on Where You’re From

WTTW News correspondent Joanna Hernandez (right) interviews Spanish speakers. (WTTW News) You have probably had these debates before. Is it pop or soda? Fireflies or lightning bugs? Well, just like the English language, in Spanish, people use different words to describe the same thing depending on where they’re from. So we headed out to ask people, “¿Cómo se dice la palabra?” Read more >

Latino Voices

Nonprofit Helps Chicago Restaurant Entrepreneurs Serve Up Success

Inside Rubi’s Tacos. (WTTW News) DishRoulette Kitchen offers free classes and support to restaurant entrepreneurs. The mission is to share information about how to start, run and scale up restaurant businesses in ways that make sense for entrepreneurs. Read more >

Latino Voices

Twists on Traditional Tropical Music for Hispanic Heritage Month

A still from the “Y Ahora” music video from MULA. It’s getting to the time of year when people in Chicago start thinking about spending time someplace a little warmer — a tropical island, perhaps? If that’s where your head is, music journalist Sandra Treviño is right there with you. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Dec. 20, 2023 - Full Show

We sit down with Mayor Brandon Johnson to talk community safety, migrants and more. And Chicago Public Schools’ plan to move away from school choice. Read more >

Black Voices

CPS Board’s Move Away From School Choice Draws Praise, Backlash

File photo of a child in a classroom. (WTTW News) In a major departure from past policy, the Chicago Board of Education has announced it intends to move away from a system built on school choice. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Dec. 13, 2023 - Full Show

Efforts to redefine Chicago’s community boundaries. Meet a 17-year-old who just earned her doctorate degree. And we break down the history of Chicago’s alphabetically inclined street names. Read more >

Black Voices

There’s Renewed Efforts to Redefine Chicago’s Neighborhood Boundaries. Here’s How You Can Help

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) We all know Chicago as the city of neighborhoods, but how exactly are those neighborhoods defined? And do those boundaries last mapped out in the 1920s still hold true? That’s what a group of scholars and researchers from the University of Chicago is venturing to find out. 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

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

‘She Who Dared’ Opera Showcases Black Female Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement

The cast of “She Who Dared” rehearses ahead of the opera’s June 2025 run at the Chicago Opera Theater. (Michael Brosilow) The opera spotlights the women who challenged segregation in Montgomery, using classical music infused with sounds of gospel, jazz and the blues to tell the story centered around seven women. 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 >

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

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 >