Rodney Little
Growing up in West Philadelphia in a family of seven, with a father who worked three jobs to pay the bills, Rodney Little was aware from an early age that college probably was not in his immediate future. That would come much later, at Wilmington University.
But first came the army.
“My father always made it clear that joining the military was one of the biggest options we had on the table,” Little says. He and four of his brothers embraced that option.
Rodney, the third eldest, joined the army during his junior year at University City High School. He went to basic training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, in the summer between 11th and 12th grades, and when he graduated in 1978, he traveled to Fort Gordon (now Fort Eisenhower) in Augusta, Georgia, to train as a radio teletype operator. From there he went to Germany, then returned to the U.S. to serve at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), in Columbus, Georgia. During a 33-year career in both the active and reserve forces, he held virtually every leadership position from team leader to drill instructor, and achieved the rank of sergeant major E9, the highest noncommissioned designation.
Little transferred the skills he learned in the army to civilian life, becoming a leader on the political and civic scene, and especially on issues involving veterans and active-duty military members.
Little’s volunteer work is extensive. He is treasurer of Common Cause of Pennsylvania and is on the Veteran Multi-Service Board and the board of the Fair Housing Rights Center, among others. He’s also commander of Delaware Chapter 94, National Association for Black Veterans. In addition, as a member of the Philadelphia Housing Authority Police Department from 1991 to 2011, he served 11 years as president of FOP Lodge 106, which represents that department. Previously, he was on former U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s Military Academy Selection Panel, and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s Advisory Commission on African American Affairs.
Last year, Little’s advocacy for veterans and members of the military led him to a new passion when he signed on as senior advisor to Mike Meyers, commissioner of the Military Basketball Association.
The MBA was formed in 2017 by Meyers, a retired army major, and Angel Acevedo, a retired first sergeant. Both were combat veterans — Meyers in Iraq and Acevedo in Afghanistan.
Following their return home, both men learned of veterans who had taken their own lives as they dealt with the ravages of war and what they saw and did during their tours of duty. In fact, according to a report published by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2016, an average of 20 veterans per day die by suicide. Many veterans believe the actual number is much higher.
With Meyers serving as com-missioner and Acevedo as deputy commissioner, the MBA quickly grew to more than 1,000 military athletes — both veterans and active duty men and women — on two continents. Through local, regional, and national games, tournaments and events, the nonprofit organization seeks to educate communities about the challenges and stigmas associated with post-traumatic stress and advocate for intervention in the alarming rate of veteran suicides.
In September of 2023, the MBA signaled that it had arrived on the national stage by signing a multiyear agreement with CBS Sports to tele-vise the MBA Championship Game live in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The first of those games — from Temple University’s Liacouras Center — was aired on May 26. It capped three days of events in Philadelphia that included an MBA Hall of Fame Banquet and a town hall with the theme “Suicide Prevention through Sports.”
Little helped organize those events and has been a key addition to the MBA leadership team, according to Meyers. “Rodney is the heart and soul of the MBA in the tri-state area,” he says. “His expertise in event management, military affairs, law enforcement, veterans initiatives, and business development in the area is invaluable, and his addition has had incredible benefits to our efforts in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Delaware. I often listen to his council, and we could not have a successful event without him.”
Little is a strong advocate for the league. “The MBA’s footprint is global,” he says. “Our mission is to prevent suicides and suicide ideation through resiliency, through comradery amongst players, and by educating the public about the traumas and the invisible mental health wounds associated with military service.” He adds that no one associated with the MBA has taken his or her own life.
“Rodney is the heart and soul of the Military Basketball Association (MBA) in the tri-state area.” — Mike Meyers
As to why he added this new post to an already full plate, Little says, “I want to continue to give back.”
He brought that same attitude to WilmU, where he found a long-established welcoming environment for military-connected students. As of January 2023, the University was serving more than 1,550 military-connected students. Two-thirds were pursuing undergraduate degrees, 30 percent were graduate students, and 3 percent were doctoral candidates. Seventeen percent were on active duty, 56 percent were veterans, and 27 percent were dependents.
That environment, combined with affordable tuition and evening classes, made WilmU the perfect choice for Little, who knew that a college degree would enhance his professional profile. In 2014, he enrolled in the Organizational Management program, taking courses at the Dover campus, near his home in Smyrna.
Little quickly became part of WilmU’s extensive military family.
“Rodney was always passionate about helping veterans,” says Jonathan Mallory, a student services associate in Dover. “He joined the Military Veterans Student Organization, and connected with a lot of veterans, and helped them with local services.”
Through his many government and civic contacts, Little also acquired more than 100 refurbished computers, and, with Mallory’s assistance, distributed them to WilmU veterans.
Little’s dedication to serving veterans is perhaps best summed up by his friend, Joe Griffies, a veterans advocate and radio host with WIBG in Ocean City, New Jersey.
“Rodney Little is a patriot, and just an outstanding human being,” Griffies says. “He listens to veterans and their problems, and he takes steps to help them. We need more Rodney Littles in the world.”