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‘A Different World’ Actors Push For More African American Students In HBCUs

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When "A Different World" cast members come together even after decades, they do it to promote a cause. Recently, actress Jasmine Guy speaks about the importance and relevance of the show right now when it comes to higher education.

"A Different World" is a television sitcom and a spin-off from "The Cosby Show" on NBC. It had six seasons, since 1987, on the channel and it focuses on the life and challenges of African American students at the Hillman College. Hollman College is a fictional HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in Virginia.

The show now has reruns on Netflix and is considerably described to be a socially responsible, ensemble situation comedy, as reported by Museum. Now, the "A Different World" stars of the TV sit-com are going on college tours promote the benefits of higher education and HBCUs specifically.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Wayne County Community College students, staff and parents welcomed the television celebrities. According to students who attended the show, the "A Different World" stars were able to stress the value of higher education. A college drop-out tells Detroit Free Press that he is inspired to go back to school. He confesses that he has seen the re-runs and now sees college in a new and better light.

The stars present during the event were Darryl Bell (who plays Ron Johnson), Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert), Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne) and Charnelle Brown (Kimberly Reese) with Detroit radio talk show host Mildred Gaddis moderating. Their first stop was Wayne County and they are moving on to the next HBCU. Their focus is to get young African Americans to start thinking about college and consider HBCUs in the country.

Some HBCU presidents hope that the tour of the "A Different World" stars will help increase enrollment of African Americans in their schools like it did the last time it originally aired.

Watch the cast of "A Different World" below talk about their experiences with Oprah Winfrey:

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