Orlando Jones to speak at Alabama State’s Founder’s Day celebration

FILE – Orlando Jones (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

Television, film and digital media personality Orlando Jones will be the keynote speaker at Alabama State University’s 2026 Founders’ Day Ceremony.

The event celebrates the history and vision of ASU.

Founders’ Day activities will begin at 9AM Friday, February 6, with a bell-ringing ceremony in front of the Levi Watkins Learning Center. The program will follow at 10AM in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

Jones is known for his unforgettable role as the African god Anansi in Starz’s “American Gods” to memorable performances in shows like “Abbott Elementary” and “Swagger.”

Jones was a founding cast member of “MAD TV” and had voice roles in animation and gaming, including “King of the Hill” and “Halo 2.” He has also done work as a writer and producer.

Jones’s journey, from pioneering cable programming with the FX Network to leading digital productions like the 88th Academy Awards broadcast, reflects the spirit of determination and change celebrated by Alabama State University’s founders.

ASU traces its roots to a group of formerly enslaved men, known as the Marion Nine, who founded a school now known as Alabama State University on July 18, 1867, in Marion.

Founders’ Day commemorates the founders and original trustees of the institution, which includes: Alexander H. Curtis, James Childs, Nicholas Dale, John Freeman, David Harris, Thomas Lee, Nathan Levert, Joey P. Pinch and Thomas Speed.

Founders’ Day is traditionally held on or near former ASU President William Burns Paterson’s birthday in honor of his being recognized as the “architect” of the modern Alabama State University and because he was instrumental in the institution’s move from Marion to Montgomery in 1887.