Actress Jasmine Davis made history when she was cast in Lena Waithe’s SHOWTIME series, “The Chi.”
Jasmine portrays Imani, the transgender girlfriend of Victor “Trig” Taylor — a first for the show.
Speaking to MadameNoire, Jasmine opened up about her trailblazing role.
“The underlying values of the show are community, coming together, overcoming your obstacles. It’s teaching people to have those important conversations and be open-minded. It’s teaching people to see that this humanity and things happen. We are all human. Lessons come in the mistakes and you can grow from them if you choose to. I learned a lot myself by watching the show,” she says when asked about the show’s core values.
Jasmine continued, “I learned that having your heart open in the most vulnerable way and learning to listen and digest things. Take it in and knowing that you all may not agree on things but learn to respect one another. Having empathy for each other. I feel like I already had that but now I have it even more. It’s driven and instilled in me more from playing my character. I learned a lot from Imani.”
Imani’s gender was revealed in season three but was kept under wraps. in season four, things almost turn left after a friend of Trig’s is released from jail and spills her secret. However, he is the same person who comes to her defense—a heartwarming moment for viewers.
During an interview with Ebony last year, she shared that coming out as trans during the lockdown was difficult.
“Coming out during the pandemic had its pros and cons,” Jasmine she told the outlet. “On one hand, I was able to stay in the house and feel safe. However, on the other hand, hateful internet trolls had a lot of time on their hands to send hate mail and leave negative comments on social media.”
“I was probably getting more love than hate,” Jasmine added, “but the hate was so directed and so loud and in my face.”
Jasmine has become one of the show’s most endeared characters. We love her!
