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.
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.
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Emerging Latino Music Takes Over Navy Pier at LatiNxt, Aug. 26-27
The LatiNxt Music Festival returns to Navy Pier this weekend with two full days and nights of performances showcasing up-and-coming Latino artists.
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Villapalooza Returns to Rock Little Village, Aug. 26
The pandemic put 26th Street’s annual Villapalooza music festival on hold for a few years — but on Saturday, it’s back with more space than ever for young local artists to showcase their community and culture.
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Residents React to Chicago Top Cop Selection, Share Hopes for Community Engagement: ‘It’s a Two-Way Street’
If confirmed as superintendent, Larry Snelling faces a delicate balancing act — addressing the crime and violence that have plagued Chicago while also changing the way CPD trains and disciplines its officers.
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Taqueria Las Flores Owner Hoping to Rebuild After Fire Destroys North Park Restaurant
Jazmin Flores, the young entrepreneur and owner of Taqueria Las Flores, used her savings to open the restaurant four years ago. She stayed open through the pandemic and navigated financial struggles. Now she’s forced to start over.
Read more >Black Voices
How a Chicago Police Officer Transformed His Backyard Into an Award-Winning Oasis
Deronis Cooper said getting his hands in the dirt helps him cope with the challenges of being a police officer. What started with four planters has grown into more than 50 plant species in his backyard.
Read more >Black Voices
Vanessa Williams on Producing a New Musical Showcasing Jazz Legend Louis Armstrong Now Playing in Chicago
Black Theatre United is an organization aimed at creating more diversity and inclusion in theater. With the help of that group, actress Vanessa Williams is making her producorial debut for the new musical “A Wonderful World.”
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 18, 2023 - Full Show
We sit down with Chicago’s newly appointed police superintendent. A look at the impact of residents boycotting CPS’ segregationist policies — 60 years later. And a new musical on jazz legend Louis Armstrong.
Read more >Black Voices
Reflecting on the Historic 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott 60 Years Later
This Sunday marks 60 years to the day nearly 250,000 Chicago Public Schools students skipped school to boycott CPS. Students and their parents flooded the streets of Chicago in what’s known as Freedom Day, a massive protest of the segregation in CPS and the superintendent at the time, Benjamin Willis.
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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
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
‘She Who Dared’ Opera Showcases Black Female Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement
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
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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