Latino Voices

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 >

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 >

Black Voices

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 >

Black Voices

South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening

The Women’s Garden at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. Read more >

Latino Voices

Musician Uses Social Media to Highlight Latino Music, Chicago Sights

Musician Daniel Flores, also known as Trumpet Papi, joined “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” on July 14, 2023. (WTTW News) Peruvian musician Daniel Flores is on a mission to showcase Chicago’s beauty with help from a musical friend: his trumpet. Read more >

Latino Voices

Rogers Park Taco Crawl Showcases Savory and Sweet Eats from 14 Local Restaurants

(WTTW News) Tacos are the perfect food to take on a walk — or in this case, a crawl. Fourteen businesses will offer their signature tacos, with a tequila cocktail at the end. Read more >

Latino Voices

Explore the Legacy of 1930s Artist Jesús Torres at Hull-House and Graceland Cemetery

Artist Jesús Torres. (Courtesy of Jane Addams Hull-House Museum) Throughout his career as an artist, Mexican-born Jesús Torres turned his hand to multiple mediums — but before he moved to Chicago in 1924, his hands were employed as a road construction worker. Read more >

Latino Voices

Examining Johnson’s Transition Plan for Chicago’s Latino Communities

Mayor Brandon Johnson unveils the report compiled by his 400-member transition committee on Thursday, July 6, 2023. (WTTW News) Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration recently released a transition report, “A Blueprint for Creating a More Just and Vibrant City for All,” the work of his 400-member transition committee. Read more >

Black Voices

Captain Bill Pinkney, Pioneering Sailor, Dies at 87

Captain Bill Pinkney (Facebook) In 1992, native South Sider Captain Bill Pinkney became the first African American to sail around the world solo via the Southern Capes. It was a feat that took 22 months, which he chronicled in a video diary and in a documentary. Read more >

Black Voices

Author Jonathan Eig Takes Nuanced Look at Martin Luther King Jr. in ‘King: A Life’

Archival footage of Martin Luther King Jr. In the 55 years since his death, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is often quoted and revered, an icon. But in the new book “King: A Life,” author Jonathan Eig draws King as “a man, not a saint, not a symbol” — delivering far more nuance than history has allowed. Read more >

Black Voices

Safer Foundation Unveils Mural Honoring US Rep. Danny Davis in East Garfield Park

A mural honoring longtime U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis on Chicago’s West Side. (WTTW News) The nonprofit Safer Foundation provides assistance to citizens returning from incarceration. Much of its work is made possible thanks to the Second Chance Act, which was championed by longtime U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis and passed in 2008 with bipartisan support. Read more >

Black Voices

Examining Effects of Extreme Heat in Chicago’s Black Communities

(WTTW News) Chicago is one of 18 cities participating in the Heat Watch 2023 program with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in which community volunteers collect temperature and humidity data to analyze for underlying reasons and potential mitigation efforts. 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

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

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 23, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on April 23, 2025. (WTTW News) Emotional testimony at the sentencing hearing of the Highland Park parade shooter. And a long-stalled push for reparations in Chicago is moving forward. 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 >

Black Voices

South Side Residents Voice Gentrification Concerns Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening

The Women’s Garden at the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (The Obama Foundation) Despite years of organizing and city ordinances being put in place, rising housing costs and investor activity continue to threaten gentrification in neighborhoods surrounding the Obama Presidential Center. Read more >

 

Black Voices

New Columbia College President on Her Vision for the School’s Future

Shantay Bolton appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 2, 2026. (WTTW News) Shantay Bolton was appointed the 11th president and CEO of Columbia College Chicago at what she calls a “pivotal moment” for the school. Bolton, who is the first woman of color to lead the minority-serving institution, inherits a campus that has seen enrollment steadily decline over the last decade. Read more >

Latino Voices

As Mexico City Prepares to Host World Cup, Residents Say Construction Is Taking a Toll

(Medill School of Journalism) Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation. Read more >