You know what they say, “If you’re not first then you’re….” Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated is celebrating 117 years of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and uplifting humanity. Alpha Phi Alpha was the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African- American. In honor of Founder’s Day here is a list of five notable “Ice Cold Brothers” of Alpha Phi Alpha.

Omari Hardwick

Omari Hardwick is everyone’s favorite fictional Kingpin. But before he became James “Ghost” St. Patrick he was just Omari Hardwick from Savannah, Georgia.

Hardwick grew up in Decatur, Georgia where developed an interest in various sports as well as poetry. He attended the University of Georgia on a football scholarship. Although he was a star on the field, he continued to pursue his interest in acting and poetry. Thus, minoring in theater.

After graduation, Hardwick had hopes of playing professional football with the San Diego Chargers. He declared himself for the NFL Draft, but he was not selected. He then decided to pursue acting full-time.

Hardwick has made a name for himself in the film industry. He has starred in numerous projects including Beauty Shop, The Guardian, For Colored Girls, and Sparkle. Early in career, he even made an appearance in Floetry’s “Say Yes” music video. But he is best known for his role as James “Ghost” St. Patrick on the STARZ hit crime-drama, Power. Powerbecame a cultural phenomenon becoming one of the most successful shows in STARZ history. Hardwick played St. Patrick for six seasons until the original show ended in 2020. Many fans are hopeful that he will reprise his role in one of the many Power spin-offs.

Since leaving Power, Hardwick has been seen in many films including The Mother alongside Jennifer Lopez which was released earlier this year.

Hardwick crossed the Zeta Pi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in 1996.

 W.E. B Du Bois

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois better known as W.E.B Du Bois was a sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. He was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Du Bois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868. His family was part of a small population of free Black people in Massachusetts. He attended the integrated public school in Great Barrington.  His teachers recognized his academic ability and encouraged his intellectual pursuits for higher education. His positive academic experiences led Du Bois to believe he could use his knowledge to empower African Americans.

Du Bois attended Fisk University from 1885 to 1888. Altering graduating from Fisk, he attended Harvard College graduating in 1890 with a second bachelor’s degree in history. He later received a scholarship to attend the sociology graduate school at Harvard in 1891 Du Bois received a fellowship to attend graduate school at Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin, Germany. After he returned from Europe he finished his graduate studies at Harvard in 1895. He was the first African-American to earn a Ph. D. from Harvard University.

Du Bois had an extensive career as an educator as he worked at several universities including Wilberforce University, University of Pennsylvania, and Atlanta University (now known as Clark Atlanta University). During his time at Atlanta University, he published his first major academic work, The Philadelphia Negro.

In 1909, Du Bois attended the National Negro Conference in New York. This would lead to the creation of the National Negro Committee as a response to the Springfield race riot of 1908. The next year in the spring of 1910 at the second National Negro Conference, Du Bois and other attendees created the NAACP. Du Bois suggested the term “colored” versus “Black” to include “dark-skinned people everywhere.”

Du Bois became an honorary member of Alpha Phi Alpha in 1909 at the University of Michigan.

Keenen Ivory Wayans

Keenen Ivory Wayans is a talented actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He along with his brothers and sisters make up the Wayans Family who are known for their many contributions to the world of comedy.

Wayans was born in Harlem, New York, and is the second oldest of ten children. He attended Tuskegee University on an engineering scholarship. While at school he entertained his friends with fictional stories about life in New York. One semester before graduation he dropped out of school to pursue comedy.

While performing improv in New York Wayans met Robert Townsend who helped him learn about the comedy business. Wayans later moved to Los Angeles and began working as an actor starring in the show Love and Honor. Wayans co-starred and co-wrote Hollywood Shuffle alongside Townsend. The success of the film allowed him to fund his film I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.

Fox Broadcasting Company offered Wayans an opportunity to produce his own show. He wanted to create a variety show similar to Saturday Night Live with a cast of people of color. Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the show, In Living Color. In Living Color was a comedy sketch show that ran on Fox from 1990 to 1994. The series starred Wayans and several of his siblings including Damn, Kim, Shawn, and Marlon. Many unknown actors and comedians at the time got their start on In Living Coloring including Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier, and T’Keyah Crystal Keymah. Dancers turned actresses Jennifer Lopez and Carrie Ann Inaba got their start as members of the dance troupe on the show, The Fly Girls, with actress Rosie Perez as choreographer.

Wayans has written, produced, and directed some of everyone’s favorite comedies in A Low-Down Dirty Shame, The Five Heartbeats, Scary Movie 1 & 2, Little Man, and White Chicks.

Wayans crossed the Gamma Phi chapter of Alpha Phi Phi at Tuskegee University in the 70s.

Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens was a track and field athlete best known for winning four gold medals during the 1936 Olympic Games.

Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama in 1913. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio as a part of the Great Migration during the early 1900s. During his youth, Owens discovered his passion for running. His junior high school track coach, Charles Riley, allowed him to practice before school due to his busy work schedule. Owens first gained recognition during his time at East Technical High School; he equaled the world record of 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash and long jumped 24 feet 9 ½ inches at the National High School Championship in 1933.

Owens attended Ohio State University to run track and field. He won eight individual NCAA championships in 1935 and 1936 ( four each year).  Although he had much athletic success he had to live off campus with other Black athletes and was restricted to “Blacks-only” restaurants and hotels. Ohio State never Owens a scholarship therefore he worked multiple part-time jobs to pay for school.

On August 3, 1936, Owens ran in the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. He won the 100 m dash with a time of 10.3 seconds, the long jump with a leap of 8.06 meters, the 200 m sprint with a time of 20.7 seconds, and the 4 X 100 m sprint relay with a time of 39.8 which set a world record. Over those four days of events, Owens took home four gold medals. There has been an ongoing debate on whether Nazi leader Adolf Hilter snubbed Owens during the Olympic Games.

After the 1936 Summer Olympics Owens returned to the United States. In 1942, he became the Assistant Personnel Director at a Ford Motor Company location in Detroit. He later moved to Chicago and opened his own public relations firm. He also was the owner of the Portland Rosebud Negro League baseball team and was hired as a running instructor for the New York Mets in 1965.

Owens crossed the Kappa chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in 1935.

Lionel Richie

 Music legend Lionel Richie is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is best known for being the songwriter and co-lead singer of the group the Commodores.

Richie a native of Tuskegee, Alabama. As a child, he was a star tennis player and received a scholarship to attend the Tuskegee Institute (now known as Tuskegee University). While attending Tuskegee Richie was a member of the marching band, the Marching Crimson Pipers, and a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honor band fraternity. Richie graduated from Tuskegee with a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in accounting.

Richie once considered studying divinity to become a priest but decided he wasn’t “ priest material” and decided to pursue music. The founding members of the Commodores met as freshmen at Tuskegee after merging two former student groups the Mystics and the Jays. The Commodores signed to Motown in 1972, rising to fame after opening for the Jackson 5 on tour. Some of the Commodores’ biggest hits include Easy, Three Times a Lady, Nightshift, and Brick House.

Richie left the group in 1982 to pursue a solo career. During his solo career, Richie released numerous hit singles including Truly, Stuck on You, and All Night Long. He has sold over 100 million records and has four Grammy Awards. He also won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his song  Say You, Say Me. Richie was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of  Fame in 2022. He currently serves as a judge on American Idol after joining the cast in 2018.

Richie crossed the Alpha Nu Lambda Alumni chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in 1996.