al roker was born in queens, new york, the son of isabel, of jamaican descent, and albert lincoln roker sr., a bus driver of bahamian descent. roker initially wanted to be a cartoonist. he was raised catholic (in the faith of his mother) and graduated from xavier high school in manhattan. he worked on several projects as a member of the school's cartooning & illustration club. he attended the state university of new york at oswego where he received a b.a. in communications in 1976.