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

Get Back to Your Roots at Morton Arboretum for Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Celebración de los Árboles 2022. (Courtesy of Morton Arboretum) This month, the Morton Arboretum is inviting people to get back in touch with their roots with a variety of events and programs highlighting Latino cultures and communities, beginning with the Celebración de los Árboles on Sept. 16-17. Read more >

Latino Voices

University of Chicago Professor Helps Bring Students From Diverse Backgrounds Into the Lab

Dr. Juan Mendoza (left) is a professor, protein engineer and computational biologist at the University of Chicago. (WTTW News) This year, Juan Mendoza was named a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which funds efforts to bring more scientists from diverse backgrounds into scientific institutions. Mendoza said he got right to work on recruiting. Read more >

Latino Voices

Joseph Jr. Scholarships Seek Latino Applicants for College Funds

After his son (right) died, photographer Jose Refugio “Fugie” Almanza created a scholarship fund. (Provided) After photographer Jose Refugio “Fugie” Almanza tragically lost his 12-year-old son, Almanza sought to turn his pain into purpose. He founded the Joseph Jr. Scholarship Foundation, which aims to help Latinos fund their college educations. Read more >

Latino Voices

Children’s Book by Chicago DACA Recipient Tells Story of Migration Through a Child’s Eyes

In her book “Homecoming: El Viaje a Mi Hogar,” Margarita Quiñones Peña describes the migrant journey to Chicago through her own eyes as a child coming to her new home of Chicago in 1993. (Courtesy of Margarita Quiñones Peña) In her book “Homecoming: El Viaje a Mi Hogar,” Margarita Quiñones Peña describes the migrant journey to Chicago through her own eyes as a child coming to her new home of Chicago in 1993. Read more >

Black Voices

Food Insecurity is on the Rise Again. How Chicagoans Are Helping Meet the Need Ahead of the Holidays

File photo of food pantry shelves. (WTTW News) According to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, one in five households in the Chicago area is facing food insecurity. A national report found that 17 million households were food insecure at some point in 2022. Read more >

Black Voices

MLB All-Star Inspires Next Generation of Players at Chicago Academy

Curtis “The Grandyman” Granderson works with kids at the Chicago Baseball and Educational Academy. (WTTW News) Curtis “The Grandyman” Granderson spent 16 seasons playing Major League Baseball. Now he’s passing down those years of experience to the next generation of players and inspiring them to pursue college. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Nov. 1, 2023 - Full Show

City Council blocks a vote to transform a vacant lot into a migrant shelter. Why it takes so long for wrongfully convicted people to get legal representation. And Cook County’s state’s attorney on the elimination of cash bail. Read more >

Black Voices

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on the First Month Without Cash Bail

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Nov. 1, 2023. (WTTW News) It’s been more than a month since Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail entirely. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said her office was preparing for almost 18 months before the Pretrial Fairness Act went into effect. 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

5 Years Later, How George Floyd’s Murder Has Impacted Police-Community Relations

Protesters march along Dearborn Street while holding a sign honoring George Floyd. Eric Russell, right, an activist with the Tree of Life Justice League, joins them. He also spoke at the protest. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News) Nationwide protests erupted in the summer of 2020, a so-called racial reckoning, shortly after a video of the killing surfaced online. Residents took to the streets demanding systemic change to policing and the prison system. 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 >