Last September, Lena Waithe became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for outstanding writing in a comedy series for an episode of Master of None, comedian Aziz Ansari’s show on Netflix. Now she is premiering her new show The Chi, a drama about life on the South Side of Chicago, debuting Jan. 7 on Showtime. 

The show is created and written by Waithe, who was born and raised in Chicago.  It’s perhaps the most high-profile television show to date to depict the South Side. Waithe and her team, which includes actor and musician Common, took extra steps to show a South Side that was authentic, with scenes shot on site in neighborhoods like Englewood and music exclusively from Chicago artists like Chance the Rapper and Kanye West. Morning Shift talks to Waithe about her new show, and the importance of representation in Hollywood.