The Chi Season 7: Pastor Zeke’s Mom Confronts His Interracial Relationship

The Chi never shies away from raw moments. This time, they brought in Phylicia Rashad to deliver one of the most layered scenes of the season so far. Her debut as Renee, Pastor Zeke’s mom, is already making people talk.

In this new clip, she does what moms do best — asks the questions nobody else will. And she doesn’t sugarcoat any of it. When she finds out her son’s been dating his secretary, Sarah, who happens to be white, she dives right in.

“Excuse me, what’s this I hear about you dating a white woman?” Renee shoots out, side-eye sharp as a blade. You know right then this conversation is about to get real uncomfortable, real fast.

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Zeke tries to joke it off, mumbling about social media being the devil’s work. Renee doesn’t flinch. “Devil being the operative word,” she bites back. That line alone tells you everything about how she feels about this relationship and all the history it drags up with it.

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Renee makes it clear this isn’t just about her son’s new romance. It’s old scars too. She throws it out there — Zeke’s dad left her for a white woman. That wound never closed. Now, here’s her son, Pastor Zeke, a man of God, following the same path.

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It’s a gut punch when Zeke says, “Oh, that’s why you’re pissed.” You can feel how deep this cuts both ways. He sees it as her baggage. She sees it as him repeating the same disrespect.

This scene also cracks open something The Chi always does well. It shows how race isn’t some box you check. It’s messy. It’s layered. It’s family history. And it’s never off the table, even in love.

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The tension doesn’t stop with Renee and Zeke. Papa’s there too, stuck in the awkward crossfire. Renee eyes him like she’s reading his soul. She’s heard about him breaking her granddaughter Kenya’s heart. He swears he never meant it. Renee fires back with a line every grandma has thought at least once: “Y’all never do.”

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It’s dry. It’s cutting. It’s perfect. Then she switches gears, telling Zeke to stay for dinner. He ducks out, blaming work. Renee snaps that sermon excuse in half. To her, it’s just another man slipping away from his people.

Season seven of The Chi is turning up the heat. With big names like Phylicia Rashad stepping in, every scene feels bigger. These South Side women are done waiting around. They’re reclaiming their power, calling out old wounds, and making sure the men in their lives hear every word.

No matter how fancy the title — pastor, boyfriend, whatever — Renee reminds Zeke that race and family ties still matter. And she’s not afraid to say it at the dinner table.