Latino Voices

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 >

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

Black Voices

‘Other Washingtons’ Art Installation Aims to Reimagine Who We Choose to Remember

Amanda Williams' new art installation around the George Washington statue in Washington Park features artists, inventors, educators and leaders. (WTTW News) “Other Washingtons” is an art intervention located around the George Washington statue at 51st Street and Martin Luther King Drive that features artists, inventors, educators and other inspirational leaders, all with the last name Washington. Read more >

Black Voices

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. Read more >

Latino Voices

Ald. Anthony Quezada on New Role, Pushback From Controversial 2014 Tweet

Ald. Anthony Quezada (35th Ward) appears on "Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices" on April 10, 2025. (WTTW News) On Monday, alderpeople approved Anthony Quezada with a 32-11 vote as the new alderperson of the 35th Ward, despite some opposition from City Council members over an anti-Black slur he wrote on a social media post in 2014. Read more >

Latino Voices

IRS Reaches Data-Sharing Deal With DHS to Help Find Undocumented Immigrants for Deportation

In this Feb. 5, 2025, photo, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detain a man after conducting a raid at the Cedar Run apartment complex in Denver, Colorado. (Kevin Mohatt / Reuters via CNN Newsource) The announcement comes after months of tension within IRS over the data-sharing plans and internal concerns from career officials about the legality of the collaboration. Read more >

Latino Voices

As Summer Approaches and ‘Teen Takeovers’ Return, Debate Over Chicago’s Curfew Reignited

A view of Chicago looking west. (AndresGarciaM / iStock) So-called “teen takeovers” have been a popular trend among some young people for years, and the large gatherings are already making headlines again as summer approaches. This chaotic scene reignited a debate on the citywide curfew for unaccompanied minors with calls to change the current curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 3, 2025 - Full Show

Joanna Hernandez hosts the April 3, 2025, episode of "Latino Voices." (WTTW News) A rough day on Wall Street as the stock market takes a deep dive in reaction to Trump’s latest tariffs. And what to do about the large teen gatherings happening downtown. Read more >

Black Voices

Willie Wilson on Public Safety in Chicago, National Guard Troops: ‘This Is Very Personal to Me’

Willie Wilson appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Oct. 1, 2025. (WTTW News) Local businessman and former Chicago mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, 79, welcomes the possibility of soldiers in the city. “This is very personal to me,” Wilson said. “I’ve lost a son to violence.” Read more >

Black Voices

Service Cuts on the Table as Chicago Confronts $1.15B Budget Shortfall, Alderpeople Say

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) A budget forecast for 2026 projects a $1.15 billion deficit for the city, driven by the end of one-time federal pandemic aid and continued uncertainty over pension payments for Chicago Public Schools employees. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 24, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Sept. 24, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Organizers and local leaders push to reopen Weiss Hospital in Uptown. And a new campaign to address Chicago’s opioid epidemic. Read more >

Black Voices

Weiss Hospital Owner Appeals Medicaid Funding Cuts as Activists Push for Facility’s Reopening

(WTTW News) Lawmakers said the owner of Weiss Memorial Hospital filed to appeal Medicaid funding cuts that led to the hospital’s closure last month. 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

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 Organizations Work to Address Suicide Rates Among Black Young People

Rafiah Maxie-Cole, a licensed social worker, greets residents across different neighborhoods as she hands out gunlocks and mental health resources. (Medill) In an effort to combat suicide trends, two community-led organizations in Chicago — No Kids Die in the Chi and Soul Survivors of Chicago — are working to intervene early and provide young people with culturally grounded support. 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 >

Black Voices

Take a Look Inside the 1903 Frank Lloyd Wright House a Chicago Nonprofit Is Working to Restore

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House, a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2025. (Eric Allix Rogers) In the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side sits the J.J. Walser House, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1903. A local organization is working to preserve the landmark and transform it into a community asset for generations to come. Read more >

 

Black Voices

Free Boxing Club Empowers West Side Youth: ‘They Feel the Confidence’

(WTTW News) Roy Flowers started his boxing club in 2021 in the hopes of creating healthy, supportive spaces for the youth in his community. “I just wanted to be the mentor that I wish I had.” 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 >