On December 4, 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha, the first inter-collegiate Greek-letter organization established for Black college students, was founded at Cornell University. Today we know many an Alpha male will be turning up in honor of their founder’s day and to celebrate with them on this 107th anniversary we’re shouting out notable celebrity men of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (front row, far right) crossed at Boston University as part of the Sigma Chapter of the Boston Metro chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Will Packer
“Think Like a Man” producer Will Packer graduated magnacumlaude from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1996. The Alpha bruh also executive produced Alpha Man: The Brotherhood of MLK, a television documentary film that tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fraternity days as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Omari Hardwick
The very handsome Omari Hardwick grew up in Decatur, Georgia and went on to play football at the University of Georgia where he also became a man of A Phi A.
Paul Robeson
Singer, actor, and civil rights activist Paul Robeson became an Alpha at New York University School of Law, which he entered in 1919. Feeling uncomfortable at NYU, Robeson transferred to Columbia Law School in 1920.
Cornel West
Philosopher and academic Cornel West is not just an Alpha Man, he’s a member of the Alpha’s World Policy Council, a think tank of sorts charged with expanding Alpha Phi Alpha’s involvement in politics and social and current policy to encompass international concerns. We’d say he’s doing a pretty good job at that.
Donny Hathaway
Singing legend Donny Hathaway joined the Alpha fraternity at Howard University, which he attended in 1963 on a fine arts scholarship to study music .
Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie attended Tuskegee Institute on a tennis scholarship and graduated with a major in economics. He also graduated as a man of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Kappa Kappa Psi, a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States.
Hill Harper
Hill Harper didn’t become an Alpha man until many years after his studies at Brown and Harvard. In 2008, he was initiated alongside Dr. Naim Akbar of Florida State University and former NFL player LeMarcus Newman.
Roland S. Martin
Journalist Roland S. Martin earned a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and walked away as a proud member of A Phi A.
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans won a scholarship to Tuskegee University, but dropped out to pursue a career in stand-up comedy — not before crossing though.
Eric Jerome Dickey
Author Eric Jerome Dickey is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity’s Kappa Eta Chapter. Surprisingly, he attended Memphis State University and earned a degree in Computer System Technology of all things before churning out some of our favorite novels.
Kevin Powell
Political activist Kevin Powell has come a long way from his “Real World” days but he still appears to be holding up those Alpha principles pretty well.
Judge Joe Brown
The honorable Joe Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and in 1973 a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from UCLA. Somewhere in between there he also found the time to become a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
