“The Mississippi of 1920 was an exceptionally dangerous place for Black people. But my grandfather deeply believed in helping create opportunities to African-Americans to lift themselves up to create a better life for their families and doing everything possible to bring his people together.”

American lawyer and politician

Alphonso Michael Espy, known as Mike Espy, is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 25th U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1993 to 1994, and was the first African American and the first person from the Deep South to hold that office. A Democrat, Espy also represented Mississippi's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House from 1987 to 1993. His public life is tied to agriculture policy and Mississippi politics, especially the years he spent in Congress and at the Agriculture Department.