Debbie Allen on the Social Impact of 'A Different World'

OWN

In the '80s and '90s, the groundbreaking hit sitcom A Different World didn't shy away from tackling the most pressing issues of the day. In fact, producer and director Debbie Allen says they were the first sitcom to bring awareness to the AIDS epidemic, in 1991.  Now, more than 20 years after the final episode, Debbie reflects on the impact of the show. "We don't have a show that gives the voice of young people who are about what's happening in the country," she says.