The cast from the hit 1980s sitcom “A Different World” visited Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College and Morehouse College on Feb. 29, as Black History Month came to a close.
As the first stop of a nationwide tour of historically Black colleges and universities, the cast participated in panels at each of the Atlanta University Center Consortium’s campuses, highlighting the cultural significance of HBCUs. The day’s third and final panel was held at Morehouse, in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel.
Darryl M. Bell, Charnele Brown, Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Cree Summer and Glynn Turman were all present. Sinbad and producer Debbie Allen joined the conversation virtually.
The crew has appeared together in Atlanta in previous years, often speaking about the importance of HBCUs.
The cast discussed some of their most memorable and meaningful episodes, examining the influence of the show and telling stories about their experiences filming it.
Guy said comradery between the cast and transparency with the show’s writers helped them explore sensitive topics with younger audiences.
“I felt like the more real our show was, the funnier we could be,” Guy said. “As opposed to going for the gag or the joke, we were going for the truth. I love that we were able to marry the humor, the drama, the tears, the laughter — all in 25 episodes of our lives.”
“From the second season through the rest of the series, we always had input in what happened,” Bell said.
Guy also shared that she did not initially realize how much reach the show would ultimately help spread awareness of HBCU culture. Growing up in Georgia, she’d assumed communities like the AUC were well known nationally, she told the crowd.
“One of the reasons we can show up in 2024 and have a conversation with current students, in multigenerational audiences, about the impact our show had and why it’s evergreen, is because these are issues that are aspirational,” Bell said.
Several students spoke out during the discussion, expressing how the cast inspired them. Spelman senior and psychology major Kimberly Edelin said the show left an impression that still exists for current students.
Through the show’s depictions of Black college life, Edelin said, “it is globally shown how imperative and transformative HBCU culture and academia truly is.”
Credit: Frederick M. Brown
Credit: Frederick M. Brown
Nathaniel Whitaker, a Morehouse student and aspiring filmmaker from Portsmouth, Virginia, believes the show influenced HBCU attendance among Black college students. He said it specifically helped him decide to go to Morehouse.
“‘A Different World’ was part of the reason why I came to an HBCU,” Whitaker said. “Personally, that was a show I bonded over with my family.”
Brown said the biggest message “A Different World” gives students is that they should not underestimate their HBCU education, and they should take full advantage of platforms to which they have access.
The cast also talked about navigating their acting careers, offering advice to students with aspirations in the entertainment industry and performing arts.
Hardison said he was often nervous playing Dwayne Wayne. He advised actors to use anxiety to their benefit.
Credit: Frederick M. Brown
Credit: Frederick M. Brown
The cast also elaborated on the difficulty of breaking into the entertainment industry. Still, they encouraged students to embrace their journeys.
“There is a spirit of commitment to a craft that never ends. You’re always getting better,” Turman said. “The competition is unbelievable, so if you can’t help but do this, then come on.”
Edelin said students are still learning from watching the show and the characters’ complexity. She said today’s students can not only relate to “A Different World,” they can live the experience of the show, almost 37 years after it debuted on television in 1987, as a spinoff to “The Cosby Show.”
Before the event ended, Bell teased a potential reboot for “A Different World.” “I cannot confirm or deny that anything might happen soon, but never say never,” he said.
The “A Different World Tour” will visit three more HBCUs in April. The first is Howard University in Washington, D.C., followed by two stops in Alabama: Tuskegee University and Alabama State University.
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