Jasmine Guy, A Love Letter — Thank You For Showing Black Women That Aging Is A Privilege, Not A Problem

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).

RELATED CONTENT: Sonia Sanchez, A Love Letter — To The Poet Who Taught Me To Find My Voice

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.