Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy forever shipped as Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert Wayne? the current. The same goes for Darryl M. Bell as Dwayne's best friend Ron Johnson, Cree Summer known for her role as bohemian-chic Freddie Brooks, and Charnelle Brown as aspiring lawyer Kim Reese.
Howard's campus in Northwest D.C. is the second stop on a multi-city tour reuniting colleagues who have become a family at the center of the NBC sitcom about life at a fictional historically black college. . Directed by University of Houston alumnus Debbie Allen, his “Cosby Show” spinoff, which aired from 1987 to 1993, became a funny, moving and groundbreaking sitcom in its own right.
Thirty-five years after its premiere, “A Different World” occupies a hallowed place in the Black TV canon, with several breakthroughs belatedly recognized in the age of streaming and social media. This is one of the series. The cast attended Howard not only to celebrate, but also to talk about the show's impact. There was a significant increase in enrollment at historically black colleges during the show's run.
The inspiration for ADW's fictional college, Hillman, has long been amicably debated among HBCU students. So it's surprising that when the cast gathered to answer questions from reporters, the student journalist kicked things off by speculating that this popular series was based on Mecca (as Howard is known to those closest to him). It's not something you should do, right? right?
Glynn Turman, who played Col. Bradford Taylor on the show, actually attended schools including Howard University (not surprising given Allen's affiliation), another HU (Hampton University in Virginia), and Spelman College at the University of Atlanta. He explained that it is a collection of several prominent HBCUs. It provided exterior photos of Hillman's campus. Dawn Lewis, who played the character Jalisa, was in her mid-20s when she enrolled at Hillman, she added, adding, “The roots of the show come from creator Bill Cosby, who had a passion for higher education and HBCUs in particular.” he added.
Yes, Cosby (whose name came up respectfully but sparingly when the cast discussed the show's legacy) was the creator of “A Different World,” but everyone remembers Allen appeared on this program. The unforgettable first season revolved around Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and her white roommate, Maggie (Marisa Tomei). Tomei left the show completely after the first season, and Bonet appeared only as a special guest.
Allen, who was hired to reboot the series in its second season, leaned into the show's HBCU setting, requiring the show's writers to spend time on HBCU campuses and focusing on Dwayne, Whitley, and their inner circle. Moved to.
Part of Hillman Day's conversation unfolded during a well-attended panel discussion that followed a chat between the cast and reporters, and revealed that 35 years after the show's premiere, there is a real-life It revolved around how the world exists. Earlier in the day, the cast visited the White House, where at least one Howard alumnus, who would become Vice President Harris, has an office. TheGrio reporter April Ryan shared a video of the cast singing the show's unforgettable theme song under the enthusiastic guidance of press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in the White House press room.
ADW's legacy looms large after three decades, but it didn't always feel that way for the cast. “To be honest, when I was doing the show, I was really happy to be hired,'' said Summer, who looked every bit the flower child in a flowing denim ensemble and vintage top hat. . “Sure, we were number two on TV, but as people of color we didn't feel that way. We felt love from our employees, but not necessarily love from the industry as a whole. was.”
“It's really retroactive love, and I have to say it's the best kind of love, because now we're all at an age where we can really appreciate that love,” she said. added.
The multigenerational appeal of “A Different World” was especially evident during the panel discussion, where student body president Nia Naylor recalled watching Dwayne and Whitley in “polka-dot dresses” as toddlers. . Ben Vinson III, the university's president, recalled watching the show as a teenager and rushing to finish his homework in time to watch.
The discussion was full of surprises. Hosted by “Living Single” resident Kim Coles, the show featured Karen Marina White, who played fast-talking Charmaine Brown on later seasons of ADW, and Tempest Bledsoe, who played Huxtable's daughter. . Vanessa appeared on “The Cosby Show” (and she also appeared once on “A Different World”). Comedian Sinbad, aka Coach Oakes — who several cast members credit with developing his comedic talent over the show's six seasons — appeared in a video to thank fans for their love.
Allen took the show in a more socially conscious direction, devoting episodes to topics such as HIV/AIDS (at a time when even mentioning condoms on TV was controversial), consent, and apartheid. Allen told the Associated Press in 1989 that she “felt she needed to upgrade the show to a more mature level of storytelling and thinking.” She said, “Teen pregnancy, student revolts, voting, and other issues.”
Although she wasn't there in person, Allen appeared in an unforgettable ADW clip featuring her character, Dr. Langhorne, wearing a mushroom bob and comically large glasses, telling an exhausted Whitley, He advises people to “relax, empathize, and release.” (Allen's sister, “The Cosby Show” actress Phylicia Rashad, was in the audience as the outgoing dean of Howard's Chadwick A. Bozeman School of Art). Coles asked the audience to repeat a mantra to evoke Allen's appearance via video during a director's break on “Grey's Anatomy.”
This moment is a reminder that the industry has evolved thanks to the efforts of notable HBCU alumni, including producer Will Packer, who graduated from Florida A&M University, and Taraji P. Henson, who studied theater at Howard University. It reminded me. Actress/writer/producer Lena Waithe, whose credits include Showtime's “The Chi” and BET's “Twenties,” named ADW's fictional university the name of her own production company, Hillman Grado. I attached it.
Morehouse alum Spike Lee famously brought his HBCU experience to the big screen in the 1988 film School Days, which featured the early roles of Guy, Hardison, and Bell .But aside from that movie and a few others, including Gina Prince-Bythewood's Lee-produced debut Love and Basketball, it's not It is common to see HBCUs on the screen.
When NPR host Ayesha Rascow was compiling HBCU Made, a collection of essays by graduates of historically black colleges and universities, she noticed that many HBCU graduates from different generations mentioned “A Different World.” She felt surprised.
“'A Different World' really played a huge role when people talked about their opinions on going to HBCUs and why they went to HBCUs,” Lascoe, also a Howard University graduate, said in a phone interview. . “I think this shows how important the media is and how important it is to tell these stories, because the media has so much to do with people and the decisions they make, even as important as the schools they attend. Even if it's just something, it has a very wide-ranging impact.”
At the end of the panel discussion, Hardison gave away a pair of his character's trademark flip-up aviators, and the cast ended up using the memorable accessories to interact with the students in a game-like manner. did. Some of the students, Summer pointed out at one point, hadn't even been trained yet. It was born when “A Different World” premiered.
“It's beyond beautiful and overwhelming. And it lets me know that the legacy will live on,” she said.
