From 1987 to 1993, A Different World, a spinoff from The Cosby Show, showed the lives of students at fictional HBCU Hillman College. Now, three decades later, the iconic sitcom that boosted HBCU enrollment roughly 26% is returning with a modern take on college life.
Netflix’s 10-episode reboot of A Different World aims to continue the franchise’s legacy by bringing back beloved characters from the original series and showcasing a new generation of Black excellence. The dramedy will face contemporary societal issues in higher education, like funding challenges, immigration, learning accommodations, religion, and sexual health.
Ahead of the series’ debut Sept. 24, the show’s cast gathered for a panel discussion Wednesday during UNCF’s UNITE Summit on Higher Education in Atlanta.
The event featured the series’ creator, showrunner, and former Grey’s Anatomy and Bel-Air writer Felicia Pride; original series star Jasmine Guy, who reprises her role as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne; Howard University alum Kennedi Reece as Hazel Henry; and Allen Dance Academy performer Alijah Kai as Rashida Duvall.
“I grew up in Atlanta right across the street from Morehouse and Spelman College in the ’80s,” Guy said as she reflected on being back in the city for filming. “I didn’t realize it was a job at the time, but I was just happy to be working with talented people.”
Starring Hell’s Kitchen musical star Maleah Joi Moon as Dwayne and Whitley Wayne’s daughter, the show follows the rebellious Deborah Wayne and her eccentric friend group as she figures out her own path at Hillman College.
For insight in building an accurate representation of modern HBCU culture, the show’s creative team assembled councils of HBCU students to advise the writer’s room and the set designers to portray the diversity of HBCUs. According to Guy, roughly 69% of the extras are from the Atlanta University Center, which houses four HBCUs.
“There were all kinds of Black people on the show, and we came from different places, different times, and different skin tones,” Guy said. “The beauty of A Different World is that we are not monolithic.”
Other legacy characters, who Guy lovingly refers to as the “OGs,” are also reprising their roles, including Kadeem Hardison as Dwayne Wayne, Darryl M. Bell as Ron Johnson, and Cree Summer as Freddie Brooks.
Additionally, veteran writer Debbie Allen is also returning as director and executive producer.
“We wanted to honor the legacy of the show, but also evolve it from 40 years later,” Pride said when asked about working with Allen. “We want to maintain that, and showcase the issues that HBCU students are dealing with today. Being able to show young Black intellectualism and activism on campuses today, the fun, the drama, the music … all of those things were important to us.”
For Reece, playing a freshman at an HBCU as a recent graduate of Howard University is a full-circle moment for her.
“I’m so incredibly grateful and just proud to be a part of the legacy now, and just to be chosen from another HU alum Debbie Allen. … It’s incredible and surreal,” she said, She filmed the show while finishing her degree.
Despite not attending an HBCU initially, Kai educated herself by rewatching the iconic sitcom to better understand her character and the context of it all. She found pieces of herself in Whitley, Kimberly, and Freddie.
“What a beautiful experience it was to change my understanding of what it is to be a part of an HBCU, the opportunity to attend an HBCU, and loving Black people who are in the same situations as you,” Kai said. “Kim showed me that it’s OK to be unapologetically yourself at all times and to always strive for more.”
Pride said the team was intentional with releasing a lighthearted dramedy showcasing Black youth in higher education because it’s needed now more than ever.
“If you think about it, we’re not even supposed to be here,” Pride said. “The fact that we have HBCUs across the country that continue to thrive and educate despite everything we have experienced and continue to experience. My hope is to give and take that trial and continue this action to reflect the fact that we have come a long way.”
Julian Thompson, UNCF’s senior strategy director and a Morehouse College alum, expressed his excitement about organizing the UNCF panel and reflected on the lasting impact of HBCU legacy, on and off the screen.
“A Different World is probably one of the most preeminent artistic expressions that helped our country understand why HBCUs are such a powerful educational experience,” Thompson said. “I was really thrilled to be able to have Jasmine Guy and the cast at UNCF and to be able to support a new generation learning about HBCUs.”
