*Hillman College came to Morehouse College on Sept. 21 as Netflix celebrated “A Different World” with stars from the original and new generations.
The Atlanta screening took place at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. The event also kicked off the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival. Morehouse’s “House of Funk” marching band opened the celebration alongside dance team Mahogany N Motion. Members of several Divine Nine organizations also participated before Netflix screened the first two episodes.
New cast members Maleah Joi Moon, Alijah Kai, Cornell Young IV, Jordan Aaron Hall, Kennedi Reece and Chibuikem Uche attended. Original “A Different World” stars Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell and Cree Summer also joined the celebration. Debbie Allen attended as an executive producer and director of the premiere episode.
Creator and showrunner Felicia Pride joined executive producers Tom Werner, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Mandy Summers. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Summer Walker, Tichina Arnold, DeVon Franklin, Taylor Polidore Williams, Lex P and Drea Nicole also attended. Guests later gathered for a reception at White Oak.
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The celebration concluded Netflix’s nationwide “Road to Hillman” college tour. Earlier stops included Prairie View A&M University, Chicago State University, Howard University and Hampton University.
Netflix’s “A Different World” returns viewers to fictional Hillman College on Sept. 24. The 10-episode sequel follows a new generation navigating college, relationships and family expectations.
Moon stars as Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert. Kadeem Hardison and Guy reprise those roles from the original series. Deborah arrives at Hillman determined to build an identity beyond her famous parents. Her new circle reflects different experiences within contemporary Black college life.
Kai plays first-generation criminal justice major Rashida Duvall, while Young portrays five-star athlete Shaquille Johnson. Hall plays psychology major Amir Rodale, and Reece portrays small-town student Hazel Henry. Uche rounds out the core group as Kojo Achebe, a Ghanaian-Nigerian fashion entrepreneur pursuing his ambitions.
Legacy favorites Whitley, Dwayne, Freddie Brooks and Ron Johnson return alongside the newcomers. Netflix’s trailer also reveals appearances from other familiar faces.
The original series ran from 1987 through 1993 and made Hillman a defining television representation of HBCU life. Now, nearly four decades after Hillman first welcomed viewers, “A Different World” is betting a new class can create its own legacy.
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