With final season of 'The Chi,' Lena Waithe and cast bid 'hard goodbye' to 8 years of South Side stories

“The Chi” is full of little tributes to creator Lena Waithe’s real-life experience as a Chicago native.Coogie, a pivotal figure who dies tragically in Season 1, is named after a person from her childhood.Emmett, a protagonist juggling fatherhood and entrepreneurship, is inspired by a dear friend.Shaad, a character navigating life after incarceration, is loosely based on her late uncle.But for years, Waithe, 42, has made the personal feel universal to millions of viewers. From Atlanta to New York...