FAMU: A Legacy of Notable Alumni
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), a historically Black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, has a rich history of producing notable alumni who have made significant contributions to various fields. As the only public HBCU in the state of Florida, FAMU has provided opportunity for people of color since its inception and has long been a hub for excellence, creativity, and unapologetic Black brilliance. This article highlights some of the university's most accomplished graduates and former students, showcasing the breadth and depth of their impact on society.
Arts and Entertainment
FAMU has a strong tradition in the arts and entertainment, with numerous alumni achieving success in film, television, music, and theater.
Film and Television
Will Packer, a graduate of FAMU’s College of Engineering, has significantly impacted the entertainment industry as a highly successful film producer and a Hollywood powerhouse. With box office hits like “Girls Trip” and “Stomp The Yard,” Packer has consistently produced films that celebrate diversity and empower underrepresented voices. Packer graduated magna cum laude in 1996 with a degree in electrical engineering, and carries his Rattler background with pride. Packer has produced or executive produced a wide range of movies that have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide at the box office, including 10 films that have opened at number one. He has produced more than 30 features including big-screen hit comedies such as Think Like a Man (2012), Ride Along (2014), Think Like a Man Too (2014), The Wedding Ringer (2015), Girls Trip (2017), Night School (2018), What Men Want (2019) and Little (2019). Much like his former partner at Rainforest Films, Will Packer, filmmaker Rob Hardy wasn’t at FAMU to work on film, instead majoring in mechanical engineering.
Anika Noni Rose is an American actress best known for voicing Tiana in The Princess and the Frog (2009). She was named a Disney Legend in 2011. She is a Tony award-winning actress who got her start at the HBCU.
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh is an American actress and singer. In addition to her status as an original cast member of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color (1990-1994), Keymáh is also known for her roles as Erica Lucas on the CBS sitcom Cosby (1996-2000), Tanya Baxter on the Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven (2003-2005), and as the star and host on the Keymáh Network sketch variety show The Cool Crystal Show (2020-present). Much like her fellow Rattler alumna Anika Noni Rose, actress T’Keyha Crystal Keymah was a product of FAMU’s theater department. Recently, she was named the first Kellogg Artist-in-Residence for the Essential Theater program at the school and is also the namesake of an endowed scholarship.
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Meshach Taylor was an American actor, widely known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom Designing Women (1986-93), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was also known for his portrayal of Hollywood Montrose, a flamboyant window dresser in the 1987 film Mannequin and its 1991 sequel. He played Sheldon Baylor on the CBS sitcom Dave's World (1993-97), appeared as Tony on the NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill opposite Dabney Coleman, and appeared as the recurring character Alastair Wright, the social studies teacher (and later school principal) on the Nickelodeon sitcom Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.
Roy Wood Jr. is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He went on to graduate in 2001 with a degree in broadcast journalism.
Angela Robinson is an American actress and singer. Best known for playing the role of Veronica Harrington in the OWN primetime soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots, winning the Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actress. During her career she acted on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, working under the direction of Sheldon Epps, Tina Landau, Kathleen Marshall, Gary Griffin.
Isaac C. Singleton Jr. is an American actor known for voicing the Marvel Comics character Thanos in various animated films, television shows and video games, and Sagat in Capcom's Street Fighter series since Street Fighter IV.
Dee Rees is an American screenwriter and director. She is known for her feature films Pariah (2011), Bessie (2015), Mudbound (2017), and The Last Thing He Wanted (2020). Rees has also written and directed episodes for television series including Empire, When We Rise, and Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.
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Music
Several FAMU alumni have achieved prominence in the music industry, showcasing their talent and versatility as singers, songwriters, and producers.
Tyrese Gibson is an American R&B singer and actor from Los Angeles, California.
Common is an American rapper and actor.
K. Michelle is an American R&B singer and television personality. While attending the school on a music scholarship, she became a member of the Beta Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and won Miss FAMU.
Rico Love is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Enrolling in 2000, the singer noted that he met fellow singer and Rattler K.
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Scotty Barnhart is an educator, author, and is the Director of The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra.
Cannonball Adderley was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s.
Nat Adderley was an American jazz trumpeter.
Other
Meadowlark Lemon, was an American basketball player, actor, and Christian minister. For 22 years, he was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.
Politics and Public Service
FAMU has a long tradition of producing leaders in politics and public service, with alumni serving at the local, state, and national levels.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the 60th mayor of Atlanta, has emerged as a prominent political figure and advocate for social justice. After graduating from FAMU’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication followed by the law school at Georgia State, Lance Bottoms embarked on a career in public service, serving issues such as affordable housing, criminal justice reform, and much more. Bottoms did not run for a second term as mayor. President Joe Biden nominated Bottoms as vice chair of civic engagement and voter protection at the DNC for the 2021-2025 term. In June 2022, Bottoms joined the Biden administration as senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement where she served until February 2023. Bottoms formerly served as a member of the President's Export Council.
Andrew Gillum served as the 126th mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, from 2014 to 2018.
Alcee Hastings was an American politician and former judge from the state of Florida.
Alexander N. Green is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative from Texas's 9th congressional district.
Alfred James Lawson Jr. representative for Florida's 5th congressional district from 2017 to 2023.
Melvin Carter III is an American politician who is the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Sports
FAMU has a rich athletic tradition, with alumni achieving success in various sports, including tennis, basketball, and baseball.
Althea Gibson was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. Enrolling in FAMU in 1949, legendary athlete Althea Gibson is another alumna of the prestigious school and entered on a full athletic scholarship. Just a few short years after graduating, she would go on to be the first person of color to win a Grand Slam title.
Andre Dawson is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Marquis Grissom is an American former professional baseball center fielder.
Journalism and Media
FAMU's School of Journalism and Graphic Communication has produced numerous accomplished journalists and media professionals who have made significant contributions to the field.
Pam Oliver, a renowned and respected sports journalist, has broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings throughout her illustrious career. As a FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication graduate, Oliver has covered major sporting events, including the Super Bowl and NBA Finals. Famed sportscaster Pam Oliver is another celebrity who got her start at FAMU.
Other Notable Alumni
In addition to the individuals mentioned above, FAMU has produced notable alumni in various other fields, including:
Karamo Brown is an American television host, reality television personality, author, actor, and activist.
Ibram X. Kendi is an American author, professor, anti-racist activist, and historian of race and discriminatory policy in America.
John W. Thompson is an American technology executive who was the chair of Microsoft from 2014 until June 2021, and chair of Illumina from 2021 until 2023.
