Latino Voices

Thursdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Latino Voices

Under Threat of ICE Strikes, El Grito Canceled and Communities Prepare for Mexican Independence Day Celebrations

A community group in Pilsen is handing out whistles so residents can alert each other about ICE raids. (WTTW News) Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to begin operations around Chicago in the coming days, and local officials expect agents to target large gatherings like Sunday’s parade in Little Village and Saturday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Pilsen. Read more >

Latino Voices

Venezuela’s Ruling Party Maintains Control Amid Election Boycotts. What That Means Going Forward

A file photo of an election site in Venezuela. (WTTW News via CNN) Latin America is in the midst of a crucial election year in countries including Venezuela, whose ruling party claimed another win last month amid opposition boycotts. Advocates say last month’s results could further roil the country’s political landscape. Read more >

Black Voices

Wednesdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 3, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Sept. 3, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Community groups prepare for federal troops in Chicago. And the city’s minimum wage for tipped workers is going up — a look at the impact. Read more >

Black Voices

How Chicago’s Changes to Tipped Minimum Wage Are Impacting Businesses, Workers

(DGLimages / iStock) While Mayor Brandon Johnson and advocates say phasing out the tipped minimum wage helps the city’s lowest-paid workers, critics worry about the higher labor costs facing restaurants. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Jan. 16, 2025 - Full Show

Joanna Hernandez hosts "Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices" on Jan. 16, 2025. (WTTW News) Local activists share plans to demonstrate on Inauguration Day. Two Chicago colleges are offering free tuition. And conservation efforts aimed at protecting monarch butterflies. Read more >

Latino Voices

Roosevelt University, UIC Launch Free Tuition Programs for Low-Income Students

File photo of a student working on a laptop. (WTTW News) Low-income Illinoisans feeling the weight of college tuition might soon get a bit of a relief. Read more >

Latino Voices

Activists to Protest Outside Chicago’s Trump Tower on Inauguration Day

(Alexandre Fagundes / iStock) The People’s March for Justice is part of a national coalition fighting against the goals of the incoming administration. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Jan. 9, 2025 - Full Show

Joanna Hernandez hosts "Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices" on Jan. 9, 2025. (WTTW News) Some alderpeople push to weaken Chicago’s sanctuary city ordinance. And we explore why a Pilsen church is moving its masses online. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, May 7, 2025 - Full Show

Nick Blumberg hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on May 7, 2025. (WTTW News) The City Council approves the centerpiece of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s affordable housing plan. And voting begins for the next pope — what to know about the conclave. Read more >

Black Voices

Bronzeville Trail Project Moves Forward With Development Plans

A mural in Chicago's Bronzeville community. File photo. (WTTW News) The project aims to turn a disused rail line into a path for walking, biking and gathering. Organizers hope to honor the area’s cultural significance and help improve the community’s health outcomes and opportunities. Read more >

Black Voices

As Illinois’ Budget Deadline Approaches, Local Stakeholders Share Their Priorities

The Illinois State Capitol is pictured in Springfield. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois) Illinois lawmakers are finalizing the state’s budget for the next fiscal year. But it’s not happening without some challenges. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 30, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on April 30, 2025. (WTTW News) Local stakeholders on the governor’s budget proposal and priorities they’d like to see the state make. And a park honoring the legacy of Chicago’s founder. Read more >

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and Julian Grace Foundation.

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Julian Grace Foundation, and Gertrude Dyane and James H. Wooten, Jr..


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

Thursdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Black Voices

Wednesdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Latino Voices

Under Threat of ICE Strikes, El Grito Canceled and Communities Prepare for Mexican Independence Day Celebrations

A community group in Pilsen is handing out whistles so residents can alert each other about ICE raids. (WTTW News) Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to begin operations around Chicago in the coming days, and local officials expect agents to target large gatherings like Sunday’s parade in Little Village and Saturday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Pilsen. Read more >

Black Voices

CTU President Rejects Pritzker’s Assertion No More Money to Be Found in Springfield for Schools

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Aug. 20, 2025. (WTTW News) CPS is facing a $734 million shortfall with a deadline to pass a balanced budget coming next Friday, but the options facing CPS board members and the interim CEO appear to be narrowing. Read more >

Latino Voices

Venezuela’s Ruling Party Maintains Control Amid Election Boycotts. What That Means Going Forward

A file photo of an election site in Venezuela. (WTTW News via CNN) Latin America is in the midst of a crucial election year in countries including Venezuela, whose ruling party claimed another win last month amid opposition boycotts. Advocates say last month’s results could further roil the country’s political landscape. Read more >

Black Voices

How Chicago’s Changes to Tipped Minimum Wage Are Impacting Businesses, Workers

(DGLimages / iStock) While Mayor Brandon Johnson and advocates say phasing out the tipped minimum wage helps the city’s lowest-paid workers, critics worry about the higher labor costs facing restaurants. Read more >

 

Black Voices

New Documentary Explores History, Evolving Legacy of HBCUs

A still from the documentary “Opportunity, Access and Uplift: The Evolving Legacy of HBCUs." HBCUs, or historically Black colleges and universities, have been around for more than 188 years. They were founded out of necessity when predominantly White institutions barred Black students from attending. Read more >

Latino Voices

Local Illustrator Explores Growing Up in an Immigrant Household in New Children’s Book

An image from “Tíos and Primos” by Jacqueline Alcántara. (Courtesy of Penguin Random House) Writer and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara draws from her own childhood to help kids navigate their diverse identities in her new book called “Tíos and Primos” — Spanish for “aunts, uncles and cousins.” Read more >

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and Julian Grace Foundation.

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Julian Grace Foundation, and Gertrude Dyane and James H. Wooten, Jr..