It’s hard to believe it’s been 37 years since the groundbreaking sitcom A Different World first premiered on September 24, 1987, with Season 1, Episode 1: “Reconcilable Differences.” As a spinoff of the NBC series The Cosby Show, it captured central themes and storylines that continue to resonate decades later, such as racism, sexism, colorism, domestic violence, and classism within the Black community. However, it wasn’t until the second season, when Debbie Allen took the helm as executive producer, drawing from her own experiences attending Howard University (HU), one of the top-ranked Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) in the nation, that the show truly found its voice. Season 2’s transformation catapulted A Different World into the revered halls of television history. Although based at Hillman College, a fictitious HBCU, viewers, including myself, felt like we were active members of the student body every Thursday night for six years from 1987 to 1993.
