A Different World wasn’t just about Denise Huxtable going off to college. Under Debbie Allen’s direction, it transformed into a groundbreaking portrayal of life at a Historically Black College and University. The show tackled race, class, gender, colorism, AIDS, and apartheid—all while celebrating Black love, friendship, ambition, and the everyday beauty of HBCU life. In this High and Low Retrospective, we explore how A Different World reframed Black college life for primetime television and inspired an entire generation to view education—and themselves—differently.