The September issue brings generations of Hillman together as the beloved series passes the torch to a new class while honoring the cultural legacy that made A Different World a phenomenon.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EBONY today unveiled its September 2026 cover celebrating the return of A Different World, bringing together the next generation of Hillman students alongside beloved members of the original cast for a special issue exploring legacy, community, identity and what it means to find your own place in the world.
The cover features new cast members Maleah Joi Moon, Chibuikem Uche, Cornell Young IV, Jordan Aaron Hall, Alijah Kai and Kennedi Reece, alongside returning legacy cast members Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Cree Summer and Darryl M. Bell.
More than 30 years ago, A Different World introduced millions of viewers to the possibilities, traditions and community of the Black college experience through the fictional Hillman College—a world deeply rooted in the history and culture of historically Black colleges and universities. Its impact extended far beyond television, helping bring new visibility and attention to HBCUs while shaping how a generation viewed higher education, friendship, activism, love and Black adulthood.
As A Different World returns in September 2026, the world awaiting its newest class looks markedly different. Social media is ubiquitous, classrooms extend beyond campus walls, and the pressures of adulthood can arrive faster and feel heavier than ever. Against that backdrop, the next generation of Hillman must navigate not only who they want to become, but what it means to inherit a legacy that already carries enormous cultural weight.
At the heart of EBONY’s September issue is the idea that honoring the past does not mean recreating it. Instead, the future of A Different World lies in the exchange between generations: passing the torch with reverence and excitement while giving a new class the freedom to find its own footing.
“A Different World has always represented more than a television series—it helped shape how generations saw the richness of Black college life, community, ambition and possibility,” said Eden Bridgeman, CEO of EBONY. “As this next chapter begins, we are proud to bring these generations together and celebrate both the legacy that paved the way and the new voices defining what comes next. That exchange between past and future is deeply aligned with EBONY’s own commitment to honoring where we’ve been while continuing to Move Black Forward.”
This issue examines how that balance comes to life both on screen and behind the scenes. Over the next several weeks, EBONY will continue to highlight additional stories that examine why the series—and what Hillman represents—remains as culturally resonant today as it was for the generation that first walked its halls.
Through conversations with the new and returning cast, EBONY explores the responsibility and possibility that come with continuing such a defining piece of Black television history. For the original generation, Hillman created a vision of Black excellence, community and possibility rarely seen on television at the time. For its newest students, the challenge is not simply to live up to what came before them, but to discover what those ideals mean in a dramatically different world.
The September 2026 issue celebrates that evolution: the memories that shaped the Hillman legacy, the people carrying it forward and the new stories that will ultimately make it their own.
EBONY’s September 2026 issue featuring the cast of A Different World is available now at https://www.ebony.com/magazine/september-2026-digital-cover-experience-a-different-world/.
About EBONY
For more than 80 years, EBONY has served as a leading voice of the Black American experience and a global authority on Black culture. Through its commitment to storytelling, cultural coverage, entertainment, lifestyle, commerce, and community, EBONY continues to illuminate the Black perspective and celebrate the people, ideas, and movements shaping the past, present, and future of the Black experience.
EBONY Media Group is a division of 1145 Holdings, LLC. Follow on social: @EBONYMagazine on Instagram and @EBONY on X and Facebook.
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