Maxwell Little, M. Ed
Principled | Compassionate | Mature human being committed to justice for all people and the moral welfare of all communities | I seek justice, truth and liberty for all | Educator | Political Consultant | Speaker | Author
Principled | Compassionate | Mature human being committed to justice for all people and the moral welfare of all communities | I seek justice, truth and liberty for all | Educator | Political Consultant | Speaker | Author
Bio:
Maxwell C. Little is a Black American descendant of chattel slavery born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In 2016, he graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia (Mizzou) where he received a masters degree in educational leadership & policy analysis with an emphasis in higher education leadership. He has a decade of professional experience in the field of higher education as a student-centered leader serving in various departments such as student activities, athletics and academic instructor. Little is also a political consultant and digital content strategist who has served as a field organizer/small business outreach agent for Illinois Governor, J.B. Pritzker campaign and as a strategist and advisor for Illinois State Representative, La Shawn K. Ford Mayor of Chicago campaign.
Little was recognized as the 2016 Graduate Studies Commencement Ceremony Marshal at Mizzou for his academic achievements and community service during his graduate program. As a founding member of Concerned Student 1950 (CS1950) vanguard, he played an essential role in mobilizing students to address issues of racial inequity within the campus community, and worked closely with university administrators at Mizzou to improve diversity, inclusion and equity on campus. In February 2016, Concerned Student 1950 Collective were the recipients of the prestigious 47th NAACP Image Chairman's Award for using their distinct platform to be agents of change. He is a contributing author of vignette, Resistance Matters in Rise Up! Activism as Education: Perspectives on Access, Equity, and Diversifying Pathways in P-20 Education published by Michigan State University Press.
Little is the author of the petition, Remove the Statue of Thomas Jefferson from Campus at Mizzou which ignited a national debate concerning Jefferson's place on university campuses. His petition was profiled in the Los Angeles Times, Inside Higher ED, The Washington Post , Vox, Columbia Missourian and many others. Little's petition afforded him the opportunity to sit on a panel with Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard law professor and the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for History, to discuss, "Where Do We Put Thomas Jefferson Now?" Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and best selling author of the memoir Just Mercy, publicly commended Little and supported his petition stating "we've got to start creating cultural institutions that are so powerful that people will be uncomfortable to continue to support dishonorable acts."
Little was featured in Spike Lee's Lil Joints, "2 Fists Up: We Gon Be Alright" short film documentary which examined the intersections of the Black Lives Matter movement and student activism at Mizzou during the fall of 2015. In 2018, Little served on the Keynote Closing Plenary panel "Free Speech on Campus: What Students Think and How We Respond," at American Council on Education 100th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. He is very critical and outspoken on social issues such as racism, sexism, free speech, segregation, reparations, mass incarceration, law enforcement hiring practices/education and police misconduct which led to his campus name, “Brother X” given to him by his peers of CS1950.
On December 9, 2018, Little survived a near death experience that took place on the south side of Chicago as he was shot and wounded while volunteering for a candidate running for alderman in the 15th ward. Following his experience with gun violence, Little continued his efforts of political education and voter outreach on the south and west side of Chicago in 2019.
He received a bachelor degree in Leadership Studies in his hometown, Chicago, Illinois at DePaul University. In June 2018, Little was named the recipient of the prestigious DePaul University, School for New Learning (SNL) David O. Justice Award. The David O. Justice Award recognize alumni that embody the school's values of learning, social justice, community and excellence. He is also a proud alumnus of Chicago Public School system and The Office of Special Programs - College Prep at the University of Chicago.
Maxwell C. Little is a Black American descendant of chattel slavery born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In 2016, he graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia (Mizzou) where he received a masters degree in educational leadership & policy analysis with an emphasis in higher education leadership. He has a decade of professional experience in the field of higher education as a student-centered leader serving in various departments such as student activities, athletics and academic instructor. Little is also a political consultant and digital content strategist who has served as a field organizer/small business outreach agent for Illinois Governor, J.B. Pritzker campaign and as a strategist and advisor for Illinois State Representative, La Shawn K. Ford Mayor of Chicago campaign.
Little was recognized as the 2016 Graduate Studies Commencement Ceremony Marshal at Mizzou for his academic achievements and community service during his graduate program. As a founding member of Concerned Student 1950 (CS1950) vanguard, he played an essential role in mobilizing students to address issues of racial inequity within the campus community, and worked closely with university administrators at Mizzou to improve diversity, inclusion and equity on campus. In February 2016, Concerned Student 1950 Collective were the recipients of the prestigious 47th NAACP Image Chairman's Award for using their distinct platform to be agents of change. He is a contributing author of vignette, Resistance Matters in Rise Up! Activism as Education: Perspectives on Access, Equity, and Diversifying Pathways in P-20 Education published by Michigan State University Press.
Little is the author of the petition, Remove the Statue of Thomas Jefferson from Campus at Mizzou which ignited a national debate concerning Jefferson's place on university campuses. His petition was profiled in the Los Angeles Times, Inside Higher ED, The Washington Post , Vox, Columbia Missourian and many others. Little's petition afforded him the opportunity to sit on a panel with Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard law professor and the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for History, to discuss, "Where Do We Put Thomas Jefferson Now?" Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and best selling author of the memoir Just Mercy, publicly commended Little and supported his petition stating "we've got to start creating cultural institutions that are so powerful that people will be uncomfortable to continue to support dishonorable acts."
Little was featured in Spike Lee's Lil Joints, "2 Fists Up: We Gon Be Alright" short film documentary which examined the intersections of the Black Lives Matter movement and student activism at Mizzou during the fall of 2015. In 2018, Little served on the Keynote Closing Plenary panel "Free Speech on Campus: What Students Think and How We Respond," at American Council on Education 100th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. He is very critical and outspoken on social issues such as racism, sexism, free speech, segregation, reparations, mass incarceration, law enforcement hiring practices/education and police misconduct which led to his campus name, “Brother X” given to him by his peers of CS1950.
On December 9, 2018, Little survived a near death experience that took place on the south side of Chicago as he was shot and wounded while volunteering for a candidate running for alderman in the 15th ward. Following his experience with gun violence, Little continued his efforts of political education and voter outreach on the south and west side of Chicago in 2019.
He received a bachelor degree in Leadership Studies in his hometown, Chicago, Illinois at DePaul University. In June 2018, Little was named the recipient of the prestigious DePaul University, School for New Learning (SNL) David O. Justice Award. The David O. Justice Award recognize alumni that embody the school's values of learning, social justice, community and excellence. He is also a proud alumnus of Chicago Public School system and The Office of Special Programs - College Prep at the University of Chicago.