Watch the cast of ‘Girlfriends’ reunite for the show’s 20th anniversary

Courtesy of ETThe time has come. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Girlfriends,  Tracee Ellis Ross, Jill Marie Jones, Golden Brooks, and Persia White reunited for a digital celebration over Zoom, courtesy of ET, to reflect on the iconic series’ lasting impact.

“We’ve grown up together, the four of us,” Brooks says. “We have come into our own. I have so many moments with each and every one of you that I can say, ‘That made me a better person. That’s what eight to 10 years does.”

Created by Mara Brock Akil, the series debuted on Sept. 11, 2000, following the lives of four Black women: Joan, played by Ross, Maya, played by Brooks, Lynn, played by White, and Jones as Toni Childs. 

In the 27-minute video, the cast reminisce about their first time meeting, the show’s “hair journey,” and the struggles of telling a story for all women by Black women. 

“Mara really challenged our audience at a very early age when no one else was doing that,” Brooks said after admitting her struggle to fight for some of the stories for her character Maya.

Before the series was canceled, Girlfriends was known for addressing blunt topics such as dating, marriage, and divorce, colorism, domestic violence, and gender politics and what it means to understand the various backgrounds of your most loyal friends. 

“I just feel like we did something so beautiful and not just for women,” Jones added. “For us, we need this right now. Ross follows up, adding, “I feel so proud of what we did together.”

All eight seasons of the hit television series Girlfriends are currently available on Netflix.