Although stories of womanhood and friendship often appear straightforward, G.R.I.T.S. reminds us that life beneath the surface is far more layered. In the world of ALLBLK’s newest original series, every choice, every memory, and every moment on the rink carries a deeper truth. If you pay close enough attention, you’ll notice the subtleties; how each woman’s resilience is echoed through music, movement, and the textures of Southern culture. The show thrives in these intimate contrasts: the warmth of Memphis streets against the weight of survival, the softness of shared vulnerability against the grit required to rise above it.
As we follow the intertwined journeys of three young women learning to define their futures, a powerful portrait emerges. Keisha (Jasmine Sargent), Ty (Ashanti Harris), and Francis ((Aja “Slimeroni” Canyon) each carry their own histories, ambitions, and heartbreaks, yet their sisterhood anchors the narrative. Their roller-skating sanctuary becomes a visual metaphor for momentum, gliding through grief, dodging chaos, embracing joy, and chasing dreams in a city that can give as easily as it can take.
I had the opportunity to get an early look at G.R.I.T.S. episodes, observing powerful scenes that teased both the emotional stakes and vibrant energy driving the narrative. Speaking with the leading cast, there was a clear sense of passion and pride surrounding the project. Each conversation echoed a shared excitement, not just for the release, but for audiences to experience the journey week by week, discovering the heart behind every frame.
Coming-of-age stories are often celebrated for their tenderness, yet too many fail to extend that same care to Black characters navigating vulnerability. G.R.I.T.S. disrupts that pattern with intention, giving its women space to feel deeply without apology. Ashanti Harris, who brings Ty to life, speaks candidly about how meaningful and challenging it is to portray a character allowed to be soft, scared, and human. Through Ty, she hopes viewers, especially Black women, see themselves reflected with grace, nuance, and permission to feel everything that comes with growing up
“It’s so hard. It’s hard because we don’t want to be vulnerable, we’re already labeled ‘strong Black women,’ but sometimes you don’t want to be strong,” Harris shared. “Like I’m sad, I’m going through some things. But you can’t. It’s almost like you can’t let people know that or you’re looked at a certain type of way. Like oh, you can’t handle this. Which is normal—you know, I’m just going through a day. So it is very tough because you have to work harder, I feel, to get to where we want.”
Aja Canyon, who portrays Francis, expands on this theme of emotional honesty by grounding it in lived experience. For her, the series doesn’t just depict vulnerability, it rewrites generational patterns. Canyon reflects on how silence often shaped childhoods in Black households, where conversations about mental health were scarce and self-advocacy was rarely encouraged. Canyon’s portrayal honors that shift, offering Francis as a testament to what healing can look like when community replaces silence.
“I think our past too. I don’t know about y’all, but growing up it wasn’t a lot of talks about mental health,” Canyon shared. “You couldn’t really like speak up for yourself, some of our parents didn’t really talk about it. It was just like be quiet and deal with it.”
Her insight affirms why G.R.I.T.S. feels so necessary. By allowing its characters to voice pain, ask for help, and lean on each other without shame, the series models a new kind of emotional freedom, one that many viewers may be experiencing for the first time. “So, I’m glad that this finally turned around to where we can be able to say ‘look, I’m hurting. I need this’ and we can be there for each other.”
Jasmine Sargent, who stars as Keisha, highlights the intentional balance woven throughout G.R.I.T.S. a balance that refuses to flatten its characters into heroes or villains. Instead, the series invites viewers to witness the full spectrum of their humanity. For Sargent, that complexity is one of the story’s greatest strengths.
“I think the show does a great job with showing each character; everyone has good lights and bad lights,” she explained. “I think the show is very well thought out in showing how everyone gets to where they are and what led up to it.”
Sargent’s appreciation for the writing speaks to how deeply the characters are crafted. Their mistakes aren’t presented as moral failures but as stepping stones shaped by circumstance, pressure, and growth. “There are bad choices made but there are also good reasons for it. The show doesn’t just paint the picture in the bad light, it shows it all, it goes through and through for every storyline.”
Beyond the emotional depth of their characters, the bond formed between the actresses themselves became an unexpected cornerstone of the G.R.I.T.S. experience. The group reflected with amusement and genuine affection on how naturally their sisterhood developed off-camera; what began as a cast quickly transformed into a chosen family.
“It was surprising to me because I guess I didn’t expect us to be that close,” Sargent admitted. “Ashanti isn’t exaggerating, we were always together; taking naps, eating, we didn’t go anywhere. Even if it wasn’t someone’s scene we were still kinda on set, if we weren’t tired taking a nap, we were just still there on set while the other girls were filming. It was ridiculous honestly, we were just always up each other’s tails. It just happened like that, it was just so natural. Like where are you going? I’m about to come too!”
For Canyon, the reception to G.R.I.T.S. has been both energizing and deeply affirming. Seeing audiences respond with such enthusiasm has only amplified her pride in this newly released project.
“People want two episodes a week! People want to hurry up and watch it all!” Canyon said with a bright laugh. “People really want to binge it and that makes me really happy that it’s being received well.”
The excitement around the series speaks to its emotional honesty, something the group hopes viewers carry with them long after the credits roll. All three of the leading female cast stories, like many women’s, is a reminder that growth isn’t linear and that the past is not a prison.
“Be proud of who you are. And where you come from,” Canyon expressed. “Don’t feel ashamed for your past or whatever you had to do. Your past doesn’t define you, that’s what I want people to take away from this.”
Their words echo the heart of G.R.I.T.S., a series that embraces struggle without shame, celebrates triumph without perfection, and empowers its audience to claim every part of their story. G.R.I.T.S. stands as a love letter to Southern womanhood, to friendship that withstands storms, and to the courage it takes to lace up, push forward, and skate through whatever comes your way. A commitment to showing real young women with real complexities, navigating life in all its beauty and messiness; without judgment, without shortcuts, and without losing sight of their truth.
Catch new episodes of G.R.I.T.S. every Thursday, streaming exclusively on ALLBLK.
An exclusive sneak peek look at this new week’s episode:
