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.
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
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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‘Somos Un Solo Pueblo, Mexico y Puerto Rico’ Creates Cultural Connections Aug. 26
A first-ever concert will bring the musical traditions of Chicago’s two largest Latino communities together at Millennium Park.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 18, 2023 - Full Show
What the promotion of CPD’s Chief Larry Snelling means for public safety. A cross-cultural musical collaboration in Millennium Park. And rebuilding a taqueria from scratch.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 11, 2023 - Full Show
A holistic approach to gang violence. A former church in Pilsen on its way to landmark status. And a festival brings house music to Harrison Park.
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My House Music Festival Returns to Pilsen, Aug. 12-13
Pilsen residents can find a dancefloor in their backyard this weekend. The My House Music Festival is hosting house DJs for its eighth year.
Read more >Black Voices
Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship Program Set to End This Year. What Advocates, Opponents Are Saying About It
Students at private schools across Illinois are at risk of losing their scholarships if state lawmakers don’t extend the Invest in Kids Act, which is slated to end Dec. 31.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 11, 2023 - Full Show
Mayor Brandon Johnson unveils his first budget proposal. A controversial scholarship program is set to expire — what it could mean. And efforts to rename a Chicago neighborhood with close ties to the history of slavery.
Read more >Black Voices
Ald. Robinson to Propose Name Change for Douglas Neighborhood Due to Historic Ties to Slavery
Douglas is currently named after Stephen Douglas, a 19th century political figure in Illinois whose beliefs and actions were deeply intertwined with the history of slavery. He profited from the labor of people enslaved on a plantation inherited by his wife.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 4, 2023 - Full Show
The Bring Chicago Home proposal raises tensions in a City Council hearing. Reaction to a plan to convert a Park District fieldhouse into a migrant shelter. And the Chicago native behind the new series “Young Love.”
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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
Despite Promises to Promote Racial Equity After George Floyd Murder, Many Companies Now Dropping DEI Initiatives
Dozens and dozens of companies are dropping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives they loudly launched five years ago.
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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