10 THINGS AFRICAN GIRLS LEARN FROM A DIFFERENT WORLD

10 Things African Girls Learn From A Different World 

         Recently, Netflix released the entire collection of the hit 90’s show, A Different World. If you’re in your late 20’s or early 30’s, it was probably one of your favorites. 

  While we were catching up on some of our favorite TV memories, we realized that the show was deeper than the laughs and better than anything reality TV could ever have to offer. Here are 10 things we can learn from A Different World:

1.      Throwback fashion is more trustworthy than throwback hairstyles. From Whitley’s tailored suits, Denise’s oversized stain-washed jeans, JaLisa’s high-waisted ankle biters, and Lena’s crop top kente cloths, you can generally refer to fashion from 20 years ago to serve for what’s fashion-forward today. All of the girls on A Different World had their own style, but there is something for everybody.

2.      True Love Conquers. If you can think back to when Whitley was dressed to marry Byron, but ran into the arms of DeWayne, you jumped for joy like the rest of America. DeWayne was less-established and under-paid compared to Senator Byron, but those things should never matter when it comes to choosing a life-partner. Whitney had a clue.

3.      During their honeymoon, The Waynes found themselves in the midst of the LA Riots. The dialogue and protest is nearly identical to the fight of #BlackLivesMatter. Refer to the two-part story line to see how Sister Souljah and rest of the cast felt about it back then.

4.      Positive does not mean corny. Let’s not forget that this show is a direct spin-off of the most perfect black family in the history of television. Yet they still managed to handle real-life situations in a positive way.

5.      A degree will not lead to a perfect life. This show did not exactly sell the idea of college. Graduates still endured employment struggles and lived barely above the poverty line. Seems a lot like my graduating class of 2007 who went straight into a recession.

6.      Sororities and Fraternities supported this show. The very short-lived Sorority Sisters on VH1 could barely make it through three episodes without the members shutting it down. However, the same organizations can be found in the background of every episode of this show. They were willing to lend their name, involvement, and letters because they trusted the content.

7.      It’s a clear depiction of how individuality is to be celebrated. How boring would the show have been if everybody behaved the same? This show was portrait of black college house many people of various backgrounds.

8.      They worked to infuse some historical value into the episodes. With special guests like Lena Horne, the cast of students addressed historical figures and stereotypes with talent shows and programs.

9.      Countless careers were launched with this show. Loretta Devine worked the dorms, Jenifer Lewis deaned the students, Jada Pinkett grew up before our eyes, and a myriad of guests stopped by to guest star such as Tupac Shakur, Immature, Jermaine Dupri, En Vogue, and more.

10.                                  Debbie Allen became Debbie Allen. You can’t even mention this show without her name because she breathed life into it. After serving for years on the Cosby Show, having background from the incredible hit show FAME, Ms. Allen used her experiences from attending Howard University to shape the show. She worked as producer and director for the majority of the series and even made an appearance on the show.