Whitley was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her major acting roles include My Brother and Me and Sparks. She made guest appearances in several television sitcoms, including The Parent 'Hood, Married... with Children, Moesha, That's So Raven, The Parkers and Curb Your Enthusiasm and College Road Trip. She also had a small role in Next Friday as Craig's aunt Suga. She was one of 'The Adults' in the earlier seasons of All That. 'The Adults' as they were called were grown-up featuring cast-members that appeared in sketches with the regular cast. In the early spring of 2010, Whitley was a co-host with R&B musician, Brian McKnight on the short-lived talk show, The Brian McKnight Show.