Jasmine Guy, A Love Letter — Thank You For Showing Black Women That Aging Is A Privilege, Not A Problem
September 29, 2026
(L) American actress, singer and dancer Jasmine Guy, wearing a red dress, attends the 6th MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in the Universal City neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, 6th September 1989. Guy co-presented the ‘Best Video from a Film’ award at the ceremony. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images) (R) ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Jasmine Guy attends A DIFFERENT WORLD Special Screening on September 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix)
To our dearest Jasmine Guy,
Although we, as a culture, know you as our beloved Whitley from A Different World, we want to take a moment to share how much we love you for simply being you.
With a voice as unique as they come, Jasmine, we always know you’ve arrived before we even see you. That is only one of the things that makes you stand out from the rest, because, might we add, your beauty only gets better with time. It’s what many would call timeless beauty.
No matter what the internet has to say, you were an it girl then, and you’re certainly an it girl now – and you’ll remain that way forever (sorry, we don’t make the rules).
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Beyond your appearance, what has always made you extremely special is your heart. You see, most people don’t realize the beautiful friendship you shared with our late legend, Tupac Shakur, which began during his guest appearance on A Different World in 1993.
After he was shot five times in New York in 1994, he felt unsafe recovering in the hospital or his girlfriend’s hotspot, and you so graciously opened your home to him at your apartment. At the time, many could’ve looked at providing a safe haven for a rapper painted by the world as a “thug,” as dangerous, but you did it anyway, and for weeks, until he fully healed from his wounds.
You also developed and nurtured a friendship with his mother, Afeni, who later inspired you to write Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary.
They simply no longer make Jasmine Guy’s anymore, and we hope you know that.
And let’s not forget the range of talent you possess. I mean, there is a reason that Michael Jackson put you in “Liberian Girl,” and we saw your singing and dancing chops on A Different World, but your self-titled album shook up the music scene too, making the Billboard Top 200 is no easy feat — and it had the nerve to come in at No. 38 on the Top R&B chart. The kids would call you a talented baddie today, and they shouldn’t call you anything less!
We have been waiting for the day that our beloved Whitley would appear on our screens again, and now that the moment has come, it is a downright shame that it has included unnecessary and rude comments from people who’s opinons, quite frankly, do not matter.
You are one of one. A queen. The gift that keeps on giving, because we were unfamiliar with your ability to give birth to yourself. Yes, seeing your daughter, Imani Guy Duckette, take up your whole face (and voice, by the way) on our screens in this continuation of A Different World (it’s simply too good to call it a reboot) is a treat we weren’t aware we would be getting!
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 21: -R) Jasmine Guy, William V. Guy and Imani Guy Duckette attend Netflix’s “A Different World” Premiere Event & HBCU Celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College on September 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images)
Oh, Jasmine, you’ve continued to occupy space in our minds and hearts well beyond when we thought the chapter of Whitley had closed forever, but now we get to see your beautiful face and iconic mannerisms yet again, and that is proof that our God is a generous God.
You were 25 years young when you first started your role as Whitley, and now that you’ve returned to her at age 64, you are still as beautiful and graceful as ever. We would’ve had a different selection of words for the online bullies, but we know that as a woman of poise and elegance, you wouldn’t want us to stoop to that level, so we won’t.
Instead, we’ll reiterate your sentiment that women don’t owe the public a frozen, youthful appearance. In the age of fillers, plastic surgery, and beyond, we are grateful you are embracing the beauty that comes with age and a bit of lived experience!
We simply aren’t seeing what the trolls are seeing because not only do you still look GOOD, but the body remains tea!
May we all continue to see a little of ourselves in you, whether as the bold, outspoken diva Whitley or as Jasmine Guy, the woman who continues to show up for the culture with style, grace, and beauty.
We can’t wait to dive deeper into your story once your memoir, A Different Girl, co-written with your daughter, hits bookshelves next year.
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