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'Lena Waithe Brings A Truthful Voice For Black Women & Black People': Yolonda Ross On Season 3 Of Showtime's 'The Chi'

July 29, 2020 / 5:56 AM PDT / KCAL News

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(CBS Local)-- Season three of "The Chi" on Showtime features many new characters and storylines, but actor Yolonda Ross remains a constant presence.

Ross's character Jada is on a journey of self-discovery this season with her love life and identity, while she also is taking care of her son Emmett and his family. This season has addressed a lot of weighty issues and that's one of the main reasons Ross loves being on this series.

"I'm really excited about the new energy this year," said Ross in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "A lot has happened since last year and I feel like we hit the ground running. I like where the show is going and I like that the characters are getting into each other's storylines. With all the craziness that's going on in our world, I'm glad that we are a part of people's lives every Sunday and that they have something to look forward to. It's a heavy storyline that's going on right now, but it's a great show to check in on every week."

The big storyline of season three is the disappearance of Keisha and the impact this heartbreaking occurrence is having on all the characters. The show's creator and actor Lena Waithe has made a big point emphasis to highlight the stories of Black women during the run of this series and Ross believes that is what separates "The Chi" from other shows on TV.

"We had Lena on the show this year and it was a lot of fun with her as a possible mayor," said Ross. "Playing one of the adult woman characters on the show, I do feel like single Black women in neighborhoods is a subject in itself. What we do, how we maintain neighborhoods, how we keep things a lot of the time economically going. A lot of times we are small business owners, we are the backbones of neighborhoods, we are neighborhood watches. A lot of times it takes Black women to push to make something move. We can see that in government right now with Joe Biden possibly choosing a Black woman as Vice President. Lena Waithe brings a voice for Black women and Black people. We don't focus on Black women at any age."

Watch "The Chi" Sundays at 9 p.m. EST/PST on Showtime and on Showtime Anytime.