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

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 10, 2025 - Full Show

Joanna Hernandez hosts "Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices" on April 10, 2025. (WTTW News) Privacy concerns for undocumented immigrants filing taxes. Meet the new 35th Ward alderperson. And inside a local organization helping teens tell their stories. 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 >

Black Voices

Robin Givhan Explores Life, Legacy of Fashion Icon Virgil Abloh in New Book

Left: “Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh” book cover. (Provided) Right: Robin Givhan appears on "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Oct. 8, 2025. (WTTW News) Virgil Abloh shifted the meaning of luxury and who gets to participate in it. The streetwear-loving son of Ghanaian immigrants had a meteoric rise in the fashion industry — aptly calling himself a fashion “maker” rather than designer. Read more >

Black Voices

Advocates Say Black Communities Are Left Out of Regional Transit Reform Debate

File photo of a CTA train in Chicago. (WTTW News) Chicago-area public transit agencies are facing a fiscal cliff. The budget gap for CTA, Metra and Pace is at $200 million, according to the Regional Transportation Authority. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Oct. 1, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Oct. 1, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Chicago City Council prepares to navigate a billion-dollar budget deficit. And local businessman Willie Wilson on his vision to curb crime in the city. 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 >

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

From a Replica Oval Office to Michelle Obama’s Dresses, What’s Inside the Obama Presidential Center

Visitors experience the “Yes We Can” installation at the Obama Presidential Center Museum on March 1, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) WTTW News visited the Obama Presidential Center for a firsthand look at the exhibits, installations and everything in between. 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 >