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Source: Nykieria Chaney / Getty
The cast of A Different World was welcomed at the White House and led the press room in a sing-along of the famed sitcom’s theme song.
On Wednesday (April 10), the cast of the beloved NBC sitcom A Different World was in Washington D.C. on the next stop of their reunion tour which is visiting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation. They did make a special stop before visiting Howard University – they visited the White House to see Vice President Kamala Harris and White House Press Secretary Karina Jean-Pierre.
The visit was made more memorable as the cast members led the press room in a sing-a-long of the show’s iconic theme song, first done by the legendary Aretha Franklin. Veteran journalist April D. Ryan of The Grio captured part of the moment on video showing Jean-Pierre enthusiastically singing along with the cast members in the front row, which she shared on her Instagram account.
A Different World ran on NBC for six seasons from 1987 to 1993. The current reunion tour’s mission is to raise funds for scholarships at HBCUs. “By leveraging the star power and cultural impact of A Different World, we aim to inspire a new generation to choose HBCUs as their academic homes,” said the statement from the group which was released as the tour began on February 29 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The tour features the core cast members Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson); Charnele Brown (Kimberly Reese); Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert-Wayne); Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne); Dawnn Lewis (Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor); Cree Summer (Winifred Brooks); and Glynn Turman (Col. Bradford Taylor). Sinbad, who played Walter Oakes, has joined in virtually due to his recovery after suffering a stroke a couple of years ago. Producers Debbie Allen and Susan Fales are also on the 10-city tour, which will be announcing tour dates in the fall portion of the year.
Those interested in attending can visit the website for further information.
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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty / Diddy
Diddy is putting his money where his mouth is and is giving back to HBCUs.
The man who once rapped, “Don’t worry if I write rhymes, I write checks,” did just that over the weekend at this year’s Invest Fest in Atlanta for causes he cares deeply about HBCUs and financial literacy.
Spotted on PEOPLE, the 56-year-old mogul announced his $1 million investment fund in partnership with Earn Your Leisure with its founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings on hand to receive the financial blessing from the “Bad Boy for Life” crafter.
Per PEOPLE:
The fund will go toward financial literacy efforts, “[putting] the investment strategies discussed on EYL into action” and “providing a practical model for economic empowerment,” according to a press release from Diddy’s investment portfolio, Combs Global.
“I’m thrilled to join forces with Earn Your Leisure,” Combs said in the release. “We’re going beyond discussing finances and taking action to demystify the world of investing for our community.”
During his speech at Invest Fest on Friday, Diddy announced that the fund would benefit his three Capital Preparatory charter schools in New York and Connecticut.
Diddy Also Blessed Jackson State University
Diddy’s charitable efforts didn’t stop there.
He headed to Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium for a South Carolina State versus Jackson State University football game to hand-deliver a $1 million check to Jackson State University’s football team.
Per a press release, like his donation to the EYL, it will be “geared towards fostering economic empowerment and upholding the legacies of historically Black institutions,” PEOPLE reports.
Combs, a Howard University graduate, shared a video of a moment, writing in the post’s caption, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for HBCUs. It is my honor and my responsibility to support the HBCUs! The work they are doing is to be commended! My grandmother raised me to sow my seed in my community and that’s what I’m going to continue to do!!”
Diddy’s latest philanthropic efforts follow his 2022 BET Lifetime Achievement Award speech, where he noted it was his “responsibility” to give back to HBCUs.
Salute to Brother Love, aka Diddy.
Photo: Paras Griffin / Getty
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Source: Courtesy Clark Atlanta University Art Museum / Courtesy Clark Atlanta University Art Museum
The Met has announced a new upcoming exhibit and has engaged HBCUs to lend precious artwork and other assistance for it.
According to the New York Times, the museum announced in a press release that it would be putting on a new exhibition, The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism. The exhibit will feature artwork from the private collections of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Those institutions include the Howard University Gallery of Art, the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, Fisk University Galleries, and Hampton University Art Museum.
The exhibition will feature works from the period’s vaunted artists and writers including C, Aaron Douglas, Meta Warrick Fuller, William H. Johnson, Charles Alston, Archibald Motley, Winold Reiss, Augusta Savage, James Van Der Zee, and Laura Wheeler Waring.
Other institutions that will lend artwork to the exhibit include the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in addition to other European collections and private lenders. In addition, the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture is poised to make a loan to The Met. Additional financial funding will also be supplied by the aforementioned HBCUs.
The exhibit, composed of 160 works that include paintings, film, sculptures, and photographs, “will explore the comprehensive and far-reaching ways in which Black artists portrayed everyday modern life in the new Black cities that took shape in the 1920s–40s in New York City’s Harlem and nationwide in the early decades of the Great Migration when millions of African Americans began to move away from the segregated rural South” according to the release.
The Met said that this exhibition will be the “first art museum survey of the subject” in New York City in over 40 years. For curator Denise Murrell, the exhibit is the realization of a longtime dream of hers to celebrate the “radical modernity” of the Harlem Renaissance. “In terms of historical context, this is the first time in art history where we have a cohort of African American artists depicting modern Black life in a modern way,” she said.
The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism will make its debut on February 25th, 2024, and run until July 28th, 2024.
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Foot Locker might have the sneaker game on smash as far as brick-and-mortar stores go, but SNIPES is looking to establish itself as a big-time player as well and is making moves to make us take notice while also supporting the culture.
This month SNIPES is launching their new “Pay It Forward” initiative which is designed to support HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) while also empowering the next generation of Black students by supporting their education and providing them a platform to address today’s issues that affect our tomorrow. The Pay It Forward initiative kicked off at Clark Atlanta University this past April 11 in partnership with The Big Homecoming 365 Impact Tour.
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“Celebrating the contributions of HBCUs to our nation’s rich history is a responsibility that we all share. At SNIPES, we believe in the power of community and education to create a better future for all.” said Paula Barbosa, VP of marketing for SNIPES. “We are thrilled to launch the Pay It Forward initiative and The Big Homecoming event, which represent our commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders and giving back to the community. Through these efforts, we hope to inspire and uplift students, faculty, and alumni at HBCUs across the country, and to showcase the importance of education and community engagement in creating a better, more equitable world for all.”
“Partnering with companies that are truly committed to creating consistent impact in the community is important to The Big Homecoming’s reason for existing. We’re more than a music festival, we’re a 365 Impact organization. And partnering with a community committed company like Snipes just helps further and accomplish our Impact goals for HBCUs and communities around the world,” said Amir Windom, Creator of The Big Homecoming.”
During the event, SNIPES committed to providing $50,000 in scholarships to Atlanta students who signed up at their Scholarship Booth to ensure that these students get the help they need to make their dreams come true and hopefully make the kind of change we need in the future going forward.
Props to SNIPES for taking such an initiative for Black college students looking to better themselves while trying to better society as well.
Balls are in your court now, Foot Locker and Jimmy Jazz (we kid, we kid, but nah, for real).
What do y’all think of SNIPES “Pay It Forward” initiative? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Photo: The Big Homecoming + 365 Impact / Snipes
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