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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St. Adalbert Church in Pilsen Clears First Hurdle on Path to Landmark Status
The city’s Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted in favor of a preliminary landmark recommendation for St. Adalbert Church. This starts a lengthy eight-step approval process, which ends in a vote by City Council on the designation.
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Local Officials, Organizers Working to Address Humboldt Park’s Growing Homeless Encampment
According to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, more than 65,000 Chicagoans are currently unhoused.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 4, 2023 - Full Show
The city’s plans on addressing the migrant crisis. A growing homeless encampment in Humboldt Park. And a local artist’s memories of growing up in Puerto Rico.
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40 to 50 Migrants Arrive to Chicago by Bus Daily, Officials Say
Hundreds of migrant men, women and children continue to sleep on police station floors, despite efforts to move them into shelters.
Read more >Black Voices
Alderman, Residents Push Back on City Plan to House Migrants at Amundsen Park Field House
It marked the latest in a series of contentious community meetings across the city as officials work to find housing for the influx of thousands of migrants being sent from the southern border.
Read more >Black Voices
‘Young Love’ Series Portrays West Side Family’s Modern-Day Life in Chicago
Chicago native Matthew A. Cherry expanded on his Academy Award-winning short film “Hair Love” by creating “Young Love,” an animated series featuring a family living on the West Side of Chicago.
Read more >Black Voices
As Rates of Suicide Rise Among Young Black People, Research Shows Early Intervention Can Help Save Lives
The CDC said suicide rates increased by 37% for Black people 10 to 24 years old, the highest rise of any category, from 2018 to 2020. A National Institutes of Health study found among children ages 5 to 12, Black children were twice as likely to die by suicide as their White counterparts.
Read more >Black Voices
Prostate Cancer Survivor Offers PSA for Talking About Cancer, Mental Health
Prostate cancer can be a touchy subject for men to talk about, but discussing it with a doctor can be a literal lifesaver.
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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
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, May 21, 2025 - Full Show
Five years since the murder of George Floyd. We explore what’s changed and what hasn’t — from community relations to DEI pledges.
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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