Representing the graduating class of 2001 from Richmond Senior High School, from North Carolina State University in 2006, Claflin University in 2008, and North Carolina Central University in 2013, Richmond County Assistant District Attorney Herman Moore Little Jr. is the perfect new edition to our Black History Series.
Herman’s path back to Richmond County since leaving for college in 2001 is quite impressive and includes a lot of education, a variety of professional experiences, and an overarching theme of commitment, determination, and success. During his middle school years at the former Rockingham Junior High, Little was not only skilled in academics, but also in athletics. His achievements on and off the field earned him recognition as the most dedicated wide receiver and for having the highest academic performance on the football team. In addition to being a member of the football team, Little was also on the track team for all four high school years.
In his early college years at NCSU, Little was on the path to actualize his parents’ dream — medical school to become a doctor. In 2006, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and began working on a master’s degree in BioTechnology, which he earned in 2008 from Claftin University. Upon completing the postgraduate degree, he began working in a Durham medical research lab, where he remained for two years.
It was during this stint that Little realized he yearned for a more interactive, fast-paced work environment. He began training and completed the preliminary steps to enlist in the United State Marine Corps. With everything in place to report to Quantico for boot camp, he suffered an injury playing basketball and his plans for service were shelved. It was at this juncture that he decided to take another course and enrolled at North Carolina Central University as a law student. Three years later, Little added the prestigious abbreviation “J.D.” after his name, earning his Juris Doctorate and becoming a public defender in Charlotte in 2013.
During his time in Charlotte, Little made national news for his advocacy to a 2016 client who was a victim of domestic abuse, who was apprehended by an immigration agent during a court appearance.
After three years as a public defender in Charlotte, Little was commissioned by JAG Court and assigned to the 134th Legal Operations Detachment of the U.S. Army Reserve in 2016 as first lieutenant and was soon promoted to captain in 2017. He completed training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In 2018, Little submitted his resume to the District Attorney Reece Saunders for Prosecutorial District 21 and one year later, when former Chief Assistant District Attorney Dawn Layton was appointed as a superior court judge to fill the vacancy from Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Tanya Wallace (both featured in our Women’s History Series), Saunders called to invite Little to join the team.
Since 2019, Little has served as an assistant district attorney for the district, which includes Richmond, Anson and Scotland counties. Additionally, he serves as deputy group judge advocate at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. Recently, both Herman and Saunders made news when Saunders received The Patriot Award, per the nomination of Herman, for being highly encouraging of his effort to serve his country. The Patriot Award was created by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense office, to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding support and cooperation to their employees that have answered their nation’s call to duty.
Join us today in celebrating one of our own history-makers, an athletic and academic success, a patriot, an advocate, and best of all, a Richmond County native. Thank you, Herman Little, for your service to not only our county, but also our country.
Editor’s Note: Visit Richmond County is highlighting prominent local African Americans in February in honor of Black History Month.