MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota lost a major figure in the civil rights struggle last weekend. Matthew Little, 92, died at Regions Hospital on Sunday night.
Little had been ill, on and off, for several months, according to friends, but his death was sudden and unexpected. Little had been very active in spite of his advanced age.
"It is difficult to say just how big a figure Matthew Little was in the civil rights movement," said Dr. Josie Johnson, former professor and Little friend, "because he was the movement for so many generations."
Washington, D.C. native Little came to the Twin Cities in 1948 after choosing Minneapolis over Denver by a coin flip. The then 24-year-old had intended to join the Minneapolis Fire Department, but was denied a position, although he passed the test.
Little became active in fighting discrimination, eventually rising to become President of the local NAACP chapter. He fought discrimination in hiring and housing, while emphasizing the importance of education for young African-Americans.
Little led the Minnesota delegation to the 1963 March on Washington, immortalized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's "I have a dream" speech. Dr. Johnson accompanied Little on that journey and recalled that Little was insistent that the delegates abide by the March rules that no one retaliate against any possible violence. Fortunately, there was none.
Little expressed his delight at being a DFL-selected "elector" in 2008, casting his vote for Barak Obama, the first African-American President.
"Never thought I would live to see the day," said Little in 2008. "I am so happy. I am on cloud nine."
Never missing an opportunity to teach, Little met the young son of another elector. "It is for young people like you to keep up this tradition," he told the boy.
Little was a humble man, but could be quite eloquent as in one address. "We have crossed the bay, but the ocean lies before us."
"You never, ever, thought about him being, truthfully, a Mandela, King, Medger Evers type of figure and that is what he was," said Tyrone Terrill, Chair of the African-American Leadership Council. "I mean, we take it for granted and I learned so much from him."
Matthew Little retired from the NAACP in 1993, but remained active on the African-American Leadership Council until his death.
"I think his legacy will be one of a person who can live through oppression and fight against all the things that were designed to deplete us as a people or to deny our history," said Johnson. "And Matthew was able to rise above that, not only the ability to share that history of struggle and success and denial and re-effort, but to be able to communicate that to every generation."
"He is physically gone," commented Terrill, "but I know as long as Dr. Johnson and myself and others live, Matt Little will live forever."
Funeral arrangements were incomplete at this writing.
