▁born ▁to ▁the ▁couple ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁Gene al ogy ▁On ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Rich ie ▁appeared ▁on ▁N BC ' s ▁Who ▁Do ▁You ▁Think ▁You ▁Are ? ▁The ▁program ▁did ▁research ▁into ▁Lion el ▁Rich ie ' s ▁gene al ogy ▁and ▁found ▁out ▁that ▁his ▁mat ernal ▁great - grand father ▁was ▁the ▁national ▁leader ▁of ▁an ▁early ▁African - American ▁frat ernal ▁organization . ▁Not ably , ▁J . ▁Louis ▁Brown ▁was : ▁ ▁Relig ious ▁views ▁Rich ie ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ▁( Un ited ▁States ). ▁ ▁He ▁considered ▁becoming ▁an ▁Epis cop al ian ▁priest ▁instead ▁of ▁taking ▁up ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁music . ▁ ▁Bre ast ▁cancer ▁activ ism ▁Rich ie ▁helped ▁to ▁raise ▁over ▁$ 3 . 1   mill ion ▁for ▁the ▁Bre ast ▁Can cer ▁Research ▁Foundation . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁featured ▁perform er ▁at ▁the ▁Foundation ' s ▁So ir ée ▁Bou quet , ▁the ▁annual ▁spring ▁g ala , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁Rich ie ▁told ▁the ▁crowd ▁that ▁his ▁grand m other ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁breast ▁cancer ▁in ▁her ▁ 8 0 s , ▁but ▁surv ived ▁and ▁lived ▁until ▁she ▁was ▁ 1 0 3 ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁stated ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁his ▁end uring ▁symbol ▁of ▁hope ▁and ▁his ▁reason ▁for ▁becoming ▁a ▁breast ▁cancer ▁activ ist . ▁ ▁Awards ▁and