Larry Little has dedicated his life to fighting for the people, but his recent battle is personal
Dr. Larry Little standing with a mural of himself painted by Vitus Blue
Champion of social justice and Winston-Salem legend Dr. Larry Little is in the midst of one of his toughest battles yet. A few months ago, Little, who was co-founder of the Winston-Salem Black Panther Party (BPP), was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Here’s what we know: While on a routine visit to the dentist, Little was told that he had some scarring on his throat and swollen lymph nodes. Iit was recommended that it be looked at by a physician.
The next day Little made an appointment with an otolaryngologist and after a few tests they started asking him questions like: Do you smoke? Have you ever smoked? Did your parents smoke? “I’m not a smoker, never been a smoker. Never smoked weed, never smoked cigarettes,” Little explained while discussing his diagnosis last week.
“I told them my mother smoked in her early age and my father was a smoker. And that’s when the doctor looked at me and told me you have cancer.”
Doctors also saw growth on Little’s lungs and they thought the cancer may have spread. It was later determined that the growth was a result of sarcoidosis, a disease characterized by the growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells (granulomas) in any part of your body – most commonly the lungs and lymph nodes. Although there is no cure for sarcoidosis, it is treatable and Little has lived with the disease for over 15 years.
“That’s what triggered the alarm because if the cancer had spread from my throat to my lungs, then I probably wouldn’t make it,” Little said. “Fortunately, sarcoidosis shows up in the lungs just like cancer in the scans.”
To treat the growth found in Little’s throat, he’s currently undergoing radiation treatment five days a week and chemotherapy one day a week. The treatment regimen is scheduled for seven weeks. To ensure he’s getting the nourishment he needs during treatment, Little has been given a feeding tube in his stomach.
“Radiation and chemo are not easy. This is one of the toughest battles I’ve been through,” Little continued. “I have a pacemaker, I’ve had two hip replacements, but this is the toughest health battle.”
After treatment, doctors have told Little that there is a possibility that he could lose his voice, but he said he’s still grateful that he was diagnosed early.
“I’m just glad that I’m the kind of brother who makes his doctor’s appointments. Because the thing with cancer is, in most cases, if it’s detected early it can be treated,” Little said.
At first Little was going to keep his diagnosis quiet, but decided against it. He said he saw it as an opportunity to encourage others to get checked out.
Despite the long road ahead, Little’s spirits are high. Although it’s been hard, he’s confident that he will beat it.
“I’m hopeful and I know I have a lot of prayer warriors out there who have me on their prayer list,” Little said. “You know I’m 74 years old. God promised us 70 years. When I was in the Panthers I was telling folks I didn’t expect to live past my early 20s because they were killing Panthers at 17, 18, and I’ve made it this far.”
During his leadership, the Winston-Salem Chapter Black Panther Party, which is the first chapter of the BPP in the South, implemented several community programs, including a free breakfast program for school children, free Sickle Cell Anemia testing, and free ambulance service.
Dr. Little graduated with honors from Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) with a bachelor of arts in political science, earned his master of public affairs degree from UNC Greensboro, and a Juris Doctor degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. He served two terms as a Winston-Salem alderman. For over two decades Little also served as a professor of political science at WSSU.
