A good number of cast members from NBC’s beloved 1987-93 sitcom A Different World will reunite for a 10-city tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), over 35 years since the show’s premiere.
Scheduled to kick off on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, at the prestigious Atlanta University Center — home to Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College — the tour will be a nostalgic trip down memory lane with stars Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell, Emmy winner Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown, Dawnn Lewis, Glynn Turman and Sinbad, as well as producers Susan Fales and Debbie Allen.
Other locations currently listed on the tour’s official website include Washington, D.C. (hosted by Howard University) and Montgomery, Alabama (hosted by Alabama State University and Tuskegee University), both stops in April (exact dates TBA at this writing).
A full slate of HBCU stops is expected to be announced soon.
A Different World (now streaming on Max) followed students at Hillman College, a fictional HBCU in Virginia, and was inspired by student life at historically black colleges and universities. A spinoff of The Cosby Show, the series originally centered on Cosby‘s Denise Huxtable, played by Lisa Bonet, who left after the first season.
The program consistently ranked first or second among Black viewers during most of its run, and is often cited as the defining reason as to why many decided to attend a HBCU, so this tour is a fitting tribute.
The mission of the tour goes beyond nostalgia, though. The organizers and participants explain that they are also looking to raise awareness and enrollment for HBCUs nationwide. By leveraging the star power and cultural impact of A Different World, the tour aims to inspire a new generation to choose HBCUs as their academic homes.
Together with the tour’s presenting sponsors, they are launching a scholarship program so that more students can access the transformative experience of HBCUs.
