As part of their “Choppin’ It Up” speaker series, the Wilmington Public Library recently welcomed the actors from “A Different World.” The program is one of several that the library hosts, and it includes in-person talks with famous people like Jennifer Lewis from “Black-ish,” Angela Davis, LeVar Burton, Charles Blow, Ana Navarro, and many others.
The library receives the highest honor for museums and libraries
While community service activities are performed all year long, and speakers are given in the autumn, the library recently received acclaim on a national level. The library was chosen among 30 contenders to receive the National Medal of Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries.
This fall, the Wilmington Public Library will continue hosting free celebrity chats with the general public. “A Different World” was shown on HBO Max from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The sitcom tells the narrative of a group of Black students who attend the fictional Hillman Institution, a historically Black college, and follows their adventures and difficulties there.
Lisa Bonet first starred in the programme (Denise Huxtable). The spotlight, however, shifted to Southern belle Whitley Gilbert (Guy) and her romance with math prodigy Dwayne Wayne after she departed (Hardison). The Black college experience was something viewers weren’t used to seeing much on television when it aired.
One of them was Wilmington resident LaTisha Mays. She said that while her siblings attended HBCUs at Florida A&M, Howard, Morgan, and South Carolina State institutions, she chose the University of Delaware despite her reluctance since it gave her a better financial package.
Mays said, “I am excited to be here simply because these performers were the catalyst for many of ‘us’ wanting the college experience. The “Black-ish” star Jennifer Lewis, who just earned a plaque on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, will be one of several events that the library will sponsor. The event is on September 15, but no more spots are available.
The actors of “A Different World,” the offshoot of “The Cosby Show,” will be in the building on September 29. It will be the next chance for public members to attend the library’s “Choppin’ It Up” series.
