Lena Waithe Brings Chicago's Inner City Issues Front & Center In 'The Chi'
Emmy award winner and relatively new comer Lena Waithe is not shying away from the issues of her hometown Chicago in the new Showtime series, "The Chi."
Set in Chicago’s South Side and executive produced by Lena Waithe, The Chi takes an in depth look at Chicago natives who are often misrepresented in modern news cycles with high rates of homicide that seem to be the only relevant mention when referring to the popular inner city. The hour-long drama features several new comers and veterans like; Jason Mitchell and The Wire's Sonja Sohn.
The first episode introduces us to a rising chef played by Jason Mitchell and his little brother Jahking Guillory who couldn't be more different. During the opening scene Guillory discovers a dead body and the show continues to take you on a roller coaster of heart wrenching emotions throughout its pilot episode. However, the issue that seems to stand out most right away is the lack of black fathers in the household and city plagued with drugs.
Although, these are issues that have been talked about again and again, it's refreshing to see it from a native woman of color's point of view. Check the trailer below.