The Hampton Script

Sydney McCall | Staff Writer

All American: Homecoming held a panel on February 23 with members of the cast, Geffri Hightower and Peyton Alex Smith, two of the main characters on the show. Nkechi Okoro, the show’s producer was also present.

All American: Homecoming is a spin off of the popular show, All American. 

A major highlight of the panel was the announcement of the Warner Bros. TV Group scholarship. The scholarship, “All American: 

Homecoming scholarship will award $100,000 in grants to 10 students pursuing degrees at historically black colleges throughout the United States. 

The scholarship is a partnership with the NAACP. Students at HBCUs can begin applying in March. 

The panel consisted of questions from HBCU students across the nation. 

The spin-off is set at a HBCU named Bringston University. Hightower and Smith said to expect to see black excellence as a way of life throughout the series. 

Geffri Hightower said that she hopes the show gives viewers a positive outlook on HBCUs as she is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University.

Geffri, who plays Simone, shared that she only knew about some of the popular HBCUs growing up such as Morehouse and Spelman. She expressed that she had some of the best moments of her life at Clark.

Due to her experience, she hopes that young adults explore the many options of black universities so that they too, can enjoy the experience of being surrounded by black 

excellence. 

Peyton explained how he feels that the show is his way of participating in the Black Lives Matter movement. While he did not participate in many protests or campaigns, this show was his way of giving back. 

“This show is my protest for the Black Community,” he said. 

The original All American show features problems teenagers face in everyday society including sexuality, addiction, mental health, and relationship issues. The cast said to expect more of that this season, with a specific focus on navigating through a relationship while in college. 

They also spoke about how easy it was to work with each other on set. Specifically, Geffri shared how beautiful it was to work with a group of people that share similar histories, vernacular and struggles. 

The show airs every Monday at 9 P.M. EST on CW.