Television and streaming platforms have become the norm for the past several years. On an extremely positive note, many Black sitcoms starring Black actors have been streamed for millions of viewers to enjoy. One of the more popular streaming platforms is BET+, with a widely viewed show, called “Sistas.” The show has become so popular that a spinoff show called “Zatima” was created and stars Nzinga Imani. Nzinga Imani is a black plus-size actress, fashion designer and model and entrepreneur who has made many waves and strides throughout her diverse work in a variety of industries.
“Sistas” is a show written and executive produced by Tyler Perry streaming on BET+, with a mainly black ensemble cast leading the show. The premise of the show is a group of Black young women navigating love, life and adulthood. The spinoff, “Zatima” stars Nzinga Imani as Angela, following Zac and Fatima’s love story. Although Angela has proven to be a fan favorite and fun to play, Imani says that the character arc, development and evolution has proven a bit challenging,“ So typically, I have a pretty easy time understanding the motives of my character. I feel like Angela’s mindset and the way she deals with conflict changes a bit. There’s some things that Angela does that I can’t necessarily agree with or that I find a really hard time figuring out her motive. It makes it harder to root for the character, when it’s hard to conceptualize or understand why they may have made a choice that could be harmful or detrimental to another character.”
Imani was born in Queens, New York but hails from Atlanta, Georgia as that is where most of her rearing and childhood took place. She has a long history of performing as a singer as a child, having come from a family of singers and singing in choir. Imani knew she wanted to be a singer at the young age of four years old. Once in high school, she was encouraged to perform in a musical, but apprehensive at first, Imani quickly found that as she puts it, “ I was completely in love and I can’t live life without musical theater”.
Prior to her landing a role in “Sistas”, she dabbled in different careers, such as working as a make-up artist, preschool teacher, and an influencer. Imani says what really kicked off her television career was a scene in yet another Tyler Perry creation entitled, “All The Queen’s Men”, she says of the scene, “People had not seen a plus size actress in an intimate role that way in a very long time. To show a love scene, an intimate scene with a fully 3x plus size person, you hadn’t seen it before.” She rose to fame on social media, where many career opportunities suddenly appeared before her, such as serving as a brand ambassador and clothing designer. Imani has partnered with Fashion to Figure and Fashion Nova and even designed pieces for Fashion to Figure. At times, styling has at times been a challenge for plus-size Imani, where she’s had to bring her own wardrobe in or decline outfits that aren’t particularly flattering or fit appropriately. Luckily, she comes prepared with a suitcase full of character appropriate clothing and a positive can-do attitude in the event that she encounters wardrobe malfunctions.
Lastly, Imani has not only been engaged in positive body image and modeling for the plus-size community, but is also an advocate for the community as well. Namely, with plus-size health and fitness, she is a proud ambassador of The Plus Strut. The Plus Strut is the first-ever 5k run/walk exclusively designed for plus-size women. She has served as the face for it, a host and now a part sponsor of the event, taking place sometime next May. She and her sister also own a plus-size clothing company, called Nimani. Their company offers bold and colorful fashion options to plus-size. Imani says of her clothing line, “We’re trying to make sure that we cultivate a space where we can produce plus size clothes that’s fun, that’s bold, that’s sexy!” Whether it is acting or fashion, It is safe to say that whatever space Imani exists in she undoubtedly brings warmth, inclusivity and authenticity.