Latino Voices

Latino Voices

Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive

(WTTW News) 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

Antonio Santos and Katia Martinez founded the Gage Park Latinx Council. (WTTW News) 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

FILE - Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch speaks at an event, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo / Allison Robbert, File) 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

The Chicago State University football team at practice. (WTTW News) 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 >

Latino Voices

St. Adalbert Church in Pilsen Clears First Hurdle on Path to Landmark Status

St. Adalbert Church in Pilsen. (WTTW News) 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. Read more >

Latino Voices

Local Officials, Organizers Working to Address Humboldt Park’s Growing Homeless Encampment

A homeless encampment in Humboldt Park. (WTTW News) According to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, more than 65,000 Chicagoans are currently unhoused. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Aug. 4, 2023 - Full Show

Michael Puente guest hosts "Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices" on Aug. 4, 2023. (WTTW News) 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. Read more >

Latino Voices

40 to 50 Migrants Arrive to Chicago by Bus Daily, Officials Say

A bus outside Broadway Armory. (WTTW News) 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

Signs outside the Amundsen Park field house. (WTTW News) 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

A still from “Young Love.” (Courtesy of Max) 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

(WTTW News) 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

File photo of a hospital hallway. (WTTW News) Prostate cancer can be a touchy subject for men to talk about, but discussing it with a doctor can be a literal lifesaver. 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

Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive

(WTTW News) 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

Brandis Friedman hosts the May 21, 2025, episode of "Black Voices." (WTTW News) 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

Antonio Santos and Katia Martinez founded the Gage Park Latinx Council. (WTTW News) 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

The Chicago State University football team at practice. (WTTW News) 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

The city of Gary, Ind., is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News) 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

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 >