Alpha Phi Alpha was founded as the first African-American, inter-collegiate Greek-lettered fraternity 109 years ago. The oldest of the college Black fraternities, its ranks are a virtual who’s who of great men in business, sports, entertainment and more.
Established December 4, 1906 at Cornell University, by seven founders its members refer to as “Jewels,” the organization continues to live up to its motto: First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All. For example, in 2014 the frat paid the funeral costs of murdered Ferguson teen Mike Brown.
In honor of the organization’s Founders Day, we present 15 famous members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity on the following pages. Some you may know, others may surprise you.
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Photo: WENN.com
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Benny Boom
The video and now film director was initiated at Temple University’s Pi Rho chapter.
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Omari Hardwick
Yep, Ghost from Power is an Alpha. He got down at the Zeta Pi (University of Georgia) chapter.
Johnny Nunez/WENN
Stuart Scott
The late, great Stuart Scott got down at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Mu Zeta chapter.
Rachel Worth/WENN
Judge Joe Brown
Brown got down at Memphis State University’s Kappa Eta chapter.
Bridow/WENN
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Wayans attended Tuskeegee University on an engineering scholarship, where he crossed the burning sands at Gamma Phi chapter.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
David Dinkins
Beta (Howard U.) brother Dinkins was the first Black mayor of NYC, and actually pledged the famed Andrew Young.
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Martin Luther King Jr.
Although King went to Morehouse for undergrad, he was initiated at Boston’s Sigma chapter.
