As a teen in the early 1990s, A Different World made me fantasize about life at an HBCU. I mean, who wouldn’t want to hang out at The Pit between classes? And I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to secretly crushing on Dwayne Wayne (even with those flip glasses!).
The series set on a fictional HBCU in Virginia, was a spin-off of The Cosby Show and must-see television for Black people on Thursday nights during its six-season run from 1987 to 1993.Now, more than 35 years after the series premiere, the cast of A Different World is preparing to take their show on the road.
Series stars Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell, Dawnn Lewis, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown, Glynn Turman and Sinbad, along with producer/director Debbie Allen, are embarking on a ten-city reunion tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) around the country, giving show fans a chance to reminisce about their favorite show moments and inspire a new generation of young people to consider an HBCU education.
The tour kicks off on February 29 in Atlanta with Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University. From there, it will stop at Howard University, Alabama State University and Tuskegee University. More tour dates are expected to be announced soon. Along with panel discussions and other activities, the tour also plans to do some good. Sponsors CISCO and Wells Fargo are helping to raise scholarship funds to make HBCUs more accessible for students everywhere.