Alpha Physical Culture Club


Alpha Physical Culture Club

Location: Harlem, New York City
Home Court:
Manhattan Casino
Nickname:
“Alpha Big Five”
Colors:
Burnt Orange, Slate Gray, White
Manager:
Conrad Norman
Formed: 1904

The Alpha Physical Culture Club basketball team, known as the Alpha Big Five, was formed in 1907 under the sponsorship of the Alpha Physical Culture Club, which was America’s first all-Black athletic club.

The club itself was formed in Harlem in 1904. Most of its members were Caribbean immigrants, including Jamaican-born club founders Conrad and Gerald Norman.

This new Black Fives x HOMAGE graphic tee celebrates the Alpha Physical Culture Club.
This new Black Fives x HOMAGE graphic tee celebrates the Alpha Physical Culture Club.

In addition to basketball, the Alpha club competed in several other sports including track and tennis.

The club founders picked the name “Alpha” because they saw themselves as pioneers in the field of physical culture (as “fitness” was called then), which was seen as a possible solution to the high incidence of tuberculosis and pneumonia among Black residents in large, overcrowded industrial centers like New York City.

A collage of photographs and images relating to the Alpha Physical Culture Club of Harlem
A collage of photographs and images relating to the Alpha Physical Culture Club of Harlem.

The mortality rate for these illnesses among Black people approached 25%, and it was widely recognized that exercise could help reduce the spread of such diseases that thrived in foul conditions.

Yet, racial segregation left Black Americans with precious few athletic facilities to use. So when the Alpha Big Five played it was about more than just basketball.
The Alpha Physical Culture Club had its own small exercise gymnasium inside its clubhouse, located in a wholly-owned Harlem brownstone, made possible by dues-paying members.

Their membership included physicians, dentists, lawyers, teachers, musicians, clerks, government employees, real estate men, brokers, and students.

The club concluded that its standards were “as high as in similar white organizations” and that its members “belong to the best class of colored people in New York and surrounding cities.”

They advocated strict adherence to the principles of amateurism and included anyone young or old who embraced them.

“Physical culture knows no age limits,” said co-founder Conrad Norman.

The club had a strong allegiance not only among West Indians but also among American-born people of African descent, and its motto was, “A Square Deal For All!”

This fitted Alpha Physical Culture Club cap is one of many Black Fives Era team and branded styles available.
This fitted Alpha Physical Culture Club cap is one of many Black Fives Era team and branded styles available. Select for more info.

The Alphas were founding members of the first Black club basketball league, the Olympian Athletic League, which was formed in 1907.

For a decade the Alphas enjoyed an intense inter-city basketball rivalry with Brooklyn’s Smart Set Athletic Club and another Harlem-based team, the St. Christopher Club, as well as other club teams in the region.

Like many Black Fives Era men’s basketball teams, the Alpha Physical Culture Club had a sister team called the New York Girls. The New York Girls were one of America’s first all-Black women’s basketball teams. The Girls were managed and coached by Conrad Norman.

Like many Harlem-based teams, the Alphas played their home games at the spacious Manhattan Casino in Harlem.

With players that included George “Headacheband” Capers, William Goode, Archie Thomas, and Conrad’s younger brother Cliff, the Alphas were consistently one of the best all-Black basketball teams in the country.

Their best season was 1912-13, when they claimed the Colored Basketball World’s Championship.

The Alpha Physical Culture Club is a great example of how a small group of people can come together as pioneers to create a new reality in the face of adversity and obstacles, despite having no mentors, no road map, and no guidelines other than their unyielding passion and commitment to a definite major purpose — to help Black America conquer its severe health issues through exercise and sports.

They also had a definite plan to go with their purpose, which allowed their sizable financial success that in turn enabled the Alpha Physical Culture Club to make a significant difference in their community.

For more information about the Alpha Physical Culture Club please see these related articles and posts.

Alpha Physical Culture Club® is a registered trademark of the Black Fives Foundation. All rights reserved.

4.7 3 votes
Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

3 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Terrence
1 year ago

I want to know how to order the awesome caps

Stan
2 years ago

Please excuse my language, but this is f ing awesome. I LOVE IT