The spirit of Hillman College took over the historic Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel on September 21, as Netflix celebrated the upcoming premiere of its highly anticipated A Different World sequel series.
Serving as the official kick-off to the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival, the Atlanta premiere brought together a star-studded mix of television royalty, fresh new faces, and HBCU pride.
The Morehouse “House of Funk” marching band set the tone alongside dynamic performances by dance team Mahogany N Motion and members of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities, including Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Attendees were then treated to an exclusive screening of the series’ first two episodes.
The Atlanta event marked the grand finale of the nationwide “Road to Hillman” College Tour, which previously brought the cast to campuses at Prairie View A&M University in Houston, Chicago State University, Howard University in Washington D.C., and Hampton University in Virginia.
The new generation of Hillman students was out in full force, including Maleah Joi Moon, playing Deborah Wayne, daughter of Whitley and Dwayne, Alijah Kai as Rashida Duvall, Cornell Young IV as Shaquille Johnson, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir Rodale, Kennedi Reece as Hazel Henry, and Chibuikem Uche as Kojo Achebe. Joining the new class were beloved original cast members Jasmine Guy as Whitley Gilbert, Darryl M. Bell as Ron Johnson, and Cree Summer as Freddie Brooks.
The carpet was packed with notable guests and industry figures, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Summer Walker, Tichina Arnold, who plays Darlene Duvall, Taylor Polidore Williams, DeVon Franklin, Lex P, and Drea Nicole. Following the screening, guests headed over to White Oak for an exclusive after-party reception to toast the show’s return.
The 10-episode, single-camera half-hour series officially debuts on Netflix on September 24. Check out more images from the premiere below.
Photo Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix
