The Southern experience, it’s a different world

If there was ever a television program that had a profound effect on my decision to attend an HBCU or, for that matter, come to college, it had to be “A Different World.” As a kid, that was my absolute favorite show on the planet. It was my first real glimpse into the life of the black college student.
When I was thirteen, I had a major thing for Whitley Gilbert, the show’s prissy diva. Every week she seduced me with her southern twang, but I especially loved her regal, yet caring demeanor.
The character I related to the most was Dwayne Wayne. He was that goofy brother that everybody underestimated, but as the show progressed he made all of his doubters recognize his intelligence. He was my role model.
I remember thinking Hillman was a real college, and I wanted to go there to meet people like the ones on the show. I believe it was my mom, a Grambling graduate, who broke the news to me that it was just a fictitious school. She assured me, however, that there were plenty of black colleges like Hillman and that I would run into people like Dwayne and Whitley if I decided to go to one. She wasn’t lyin’.
I met Freddie Brooks, or a “hippied out” sister that resembled the show’s ditsy bohemian, my second semester at Southern. She was the Culture Editor of the DIGEST when I first started writing for the newspaper. When I first met this girl, everything about her style said flower child. I remember hearing her recite some of her poetry one night at a local open-mic reading. She spit this beautiful poem inspired by the music of Prince that made a deep impression on me. Over the years, I watched this sister blossom into a gorgeous law school graduate. She looks absolutely radiant now. Her outer glow matches her inner beauty.
The Culture Editor of the Digest today is a brother who reminds me of the frat boy, wanna be mack daddy on the show, Ron Johnson. This dude swears up and down that he can outwrite me and that he is the “People’s Champ” in the “Battle of the Minds” competition that appeared in the last few issues (You TryUMFed fair and square, brother. I have nothin’ but respect for your style, especially that last piece).
I’ve met so many Whitley Gilberts since I’ve been here that it doesn’t make sense. They’re everywhere on this campus. As a matter of fact, I have a few in my class.
Several semesters ago, I tried to get with a sister who was in med school that reminded me of Kim Reese, the show’s hard working doctor-in-training. Every time I tried to talk to this girl on the phone or get her to go out with me, she was extremely busy with her studies and her job. I admired that in her. Her stunning beauty coupled with her drive and determination to succeed made me go after her. Unfortunately, she told me one night that we could never be more than friends (that darned f-word). Since then, she has graduated and is now a doctor. I tip my hat to all of the Kimberly Reeses here at Southern who manage to handle a full course load, a part-time job and a late night study session only to get up the next day and do it all over again. You amazing black women are the pulse of this university and I am motivated whenever I’m in your presence.
Denise Huxtable, the slacker daughter of Cliff and Claire on “Different World’s” first season, wanted to be my girlfriend so bad a few years ago. We used to talk on the phone for hours at night when we should have been getting our rest for our eight o’clock class the next day. She could never seem to get there on time. As beautiful as this sister was (and still is), I just didn’t like her lackadaisical attitude about school. It’s like her mind was on other things besides doing what she needed to do to pass her classes. That turned me off about Denise. I couldn’t be her man. If she didn’t have the drive to put any effort into bettering herself and graduating, what kind of effort was she going to put into being in a relationship with me? She’s still here, hopefully getting her act together.
I have had lots of teachers that remind me of Colonel Taylor, the hardcore ROTC/Math instructor that gave Dwayne Wayne the extra push he needed on the show. On one episode, he said one of the most powerful lines that I still remember to this day: “In my class, a correct answer is not a reason to celebrate. It’s a requirement.” So many teachers at Southern, Grambling, FAMU, Howard and any other HBCU are exactly like that character. They know their students by name and they go that extra mile to extract greatness from them. That’s the beautiful thing about going to a black college; you’re not just a number in your class.
I’ve had an amazing journey at Southern. I’ve grown tremendously here, and I’ve got a gang of people to thank for facilitating that growth. Because of their encouragement, I’m a better man today than I was when I first walked into that Psychology class several years ago (ten minutes late), seven years after graduating high school. I realize every time I step on campus, every time I go to a football game, every time I write an editorial in the DIGEST, that I’m a part of something much bigger than myself. It’s an awesome feeling to be a part of this Southern Legacy, isn’t it?