William A. Little was an emeritus professor and chair of Africana studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He was born in 1941 in Elizabeth City County, Virginia. He attended Jefferson High School in Los Angeles and served in the US Marine Corps. Following his service, he attended Wenatchee Valley Community College, and received his Bachelor's degree in political science at Western Washington University, and Master's and PhD. degrees in political science from the University of Washington. He wrote his dissertation on the United Construction Workers Association and conducted interviews with leaders in the UCWA as well as government officials. The title of his unpublished dissertation is "Community Organization and Leadership: A Case Study of Minority Workers in Seattle," 1976.

William taught at Portland State University, West Virginia University, and CSU Dominguez Hills, where he played a pivotal role in building Africana studies into a distinct and viable discipline. He served as president of the National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) from 1992 to 1998, continuing as a member of its executive board until the time of his death, and was honored in 2006 by the organization for his contributions as a mentor. In 1993 and 1996 Little served as the Director of the NCBS Ford Foundation Africana Studies Summer Institute in Ghana, bringing together scholars and educators from the United States and Ghana to share ideas for courses and curriculum. He also served as the director of the NCBS Ford Foundation Administrative Institute, which provided training for Africana studies educators and administrators, many of whom have become university department heads, deans, provosts and presidents.

He joined the CSU Domienguez Hills staff in 1994 as chair of the Department of Africana Studies, a position that he held until 2006. During his tenure at CSU Dominguez Hills, Little made enduring contributions as coordinator of the Division of World Cultural Studies, coordinator of the Social and Behavioral Sciences program, and chair of the California State University systemwide African American Studies Lower Division Pattern Project. He also served on numerous college and university committees including the Academic Senate, University Curriculum Committee, General Education Committee, and the University Retention, Tenure and Promotion Committee. Dr. Little died in 2008 of complications from a genetic lung disease, and was survived by his wife of 37 years, Monica.