Over 35 years ago, we all entered “A Different World” when some of us experienced life at an HBCU (Historically black colleges and universities) for the first time when we watched the characters on a spinoff from The Cosby Show start their collegiate paths. Now, the cast of the successful NBC show has completed A Different World HBCU College Tour and has announced that it has been extended because it was well-received on campuses they visited.
A Different World followed the second oldest Huxtable daughter, Denise (Lisa Bonet), to Hillman College, the fictional HBCU that was patterned after various Black colleges and was based out of Virginia.
According to People, cast members from the 1987 sitcom (which lasted six seasons) Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell, Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown, Dawnn Lewis, and Glynn Turman embarked on the tour in February for a 10-city venture. It started in Atlanta at the Atlanta University Center, home to Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University. It traveled to other HBCUs in Alabama and Washington, D.C.
Based on the success and sold-out tour, it has been extended and it will pick back up at Bowie State University on Oct 17.
Although the sitcom ended in 1993, the richness of the show and the characters still resonate almost four decades later.
Darryl Bell, who played Ron Johnson on the show, spoke to the media outlet about the impact of the show and why it still hits a chord with people.
“Our show was able to depict the African American community from ages 18 to 75 and really diverse, not only group of individuals but backgrounds and ideas,” he said. “There was always somewhere someone could say, ‘That’s me, and I relate to that.’”
“I think because our show, which was written by, produced by, directed by, and starring predominantly Black college educated women from Debbie Allen to Susan [Fales-Hill] and certainly, we had a more diverse writing staff. First, be smart, be funny, and try to aspire to be great. I think we did that and added a human [element] to it, and I think that’s why the show continues to resonate with new generations.”
A Different World HBCU College Tour is for students only, and students must register on campus to attend, according to the website.
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