Latino Voices
Latino Voices
Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive
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.
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Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
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
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.
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Chicago State University Gears Up for First-Ever Football Game
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.
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NEIU’s Jose Rico Says State Higher Ed Budget Boost Will Help Fend Off Tuition Increase
The Illinois state budget passed this week included increased funding for higher education. That was welcome news to Northeastern Illinois University, which has seen some financial and institutional turbulence in recent years.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, June 2, 2023 - Full Show
City Council members debate over funding for migrants. Some welcome funding news for NEIU. And a new horror story set in Chicago.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, May 26, 2023 - Full Show
Helping U.S. military veterans who’ve been deported. Pushback against a plan to expand I-55. And inside the big tent at Circus Vazquez.
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Circus Vazquez Returns to Chicago Area With Shows Through June 11
Five brothers started Circus Vazquez in Mexico City in 1969. The family-run circus has made the Chicago area one of its stops for more than 20 years.
Read more >Black Voices
Study Finds Illinois Worst State in Nation for Racial Financial Equality
In recent decades, Illinois has lost a significant portion of its Black population. While a variety of issues have been cited as reasons for Black families to leave the state, a recent study suggests financial equity could also be a consideration.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, July 14, 2023 - Full Show
What’s behind the racial wealth gap and ways to address it. Efforts to combat PTSD in young girls. And a local police officer on showing up for the city’s youth.
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Young Performer Tryouts for T.I.P. Fest Scheduled for July 15, Aug. 25
The Chicago Park District is asking the city’s youth performers to try out for its 8th annual T.I.P. (Teens in the Park) Fest, where singers, rappers, dancers and poets ages 14 to 24 can showcase their talents.
Read more >Black Voices
‘The League’ Explores How Negro Leagues and Black Baseball Players Changed the Game
While modern pro baseball draws its players from all over the globe, America’s pastime wasn’t always so diverse. The new documentary “The League” gives an in-depth look at how Black baseball players and the Negro Leagues forever changed the game.
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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
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
Jamila Woods Teams With Black Chamber Music Collective to Create ‘Sound Healing Experience’
Singer, poet and South Side native Jamila Woods has been using music as a tool for self-healing for most of her life. She first found the power of an artistic community in her grandmother’s church choir and now finds a similar solace through connections with fans and musicians alike.
Read more >Latino Voices
Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
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
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
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
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.
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