'A Different World' Cast Reunites for Special Event
Thirty-six years after its premiere, the show is still engrained in pop culture.
It's been 36 years since the premiere of The Cosby Show spinoff, A Different World. The show chronicled students at a fictional Historically Black College/University, Hillman – and starred Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Cree Summer, Sinbad, Darryl M. Bell, Dawnn Lewis, and Lisa Bonet among others. It also was the launching point for the career of Jada Pinkett Smith. The show was so successful that HBCU's saw a major increase in enrollment throughout the early 90s, as well as an increase in donations from alumni and individual/corporate donors. It remains a staple in popular culture and a reference point for the Black experience. It's always a social media discussion when the cast reunites, and the most recent time was no different. Guy, Hardison, Summer, and Bell recently appeared at Kean University in New Jersey for a special lecture.
"Thank you again to the wonderful cast of "A Different World," – Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Cree Summer, and Darryl M. Bell – for joining us at Kean as part of the President's Distinguished Lecture Series. We were honored to relive memorable moments from the iconic show and listen to their insights on the show's lasting relevance in today's society," the university's Instagram post notes, sharing a photo of the four actors on stage. Summer and Bell followed up with their own messages from the event on their separate pages.
Per an article on the school's website, the cast were part of the lecture to discuss how college has progressed in the years since the show's premiere. More than anything, the cast are proud about the impact the show had on students' decision to further their education.
"Not a day goes by that someone doesn't come up to us and say, 'I went to college because I watched A Different World,'" said Bell, who played the character, Ron Johnson. "I feel a lot has changed, but we're still fighting apartheid. Women are still fighting for the right to our own bodies. There's more representation needed in film and TV," said Summer, who played Winifred "Freddie" Brooks. "We are facing the same problems they were facing."
The show highlighted real social issues during its seven-season run. The AIDS epidemic, date rape, domestic violence, and the Rodney King riots were some of the issues addressed in real time.