This Week In Black History

* Congressman Mike Espy (D-MS) was appointed to serve as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture by President-elect Bill Clinton on this day. As the first Black Agriculture Secretary, Espy was credited with reorganizing a $65 billion agency, negotiating multilateral trade treaties to give greater access to foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products, and establishing the groundwork for changes in the 1995 farm law. Albert Michael Espy was born in Yazoo City, MS, in 1953. He received a bachelor's degree in 1975 from Howard University and earned a law degree from the University of Santa Clara School of Law in 1978. Espy practiced in Mississippi and later served as a Mississippi assistant secretary of state from 1978 to 1984 and an assistant state attorney general from 1984 to 1985. In 1987, he was elected to Congress and served until 1993 when he resigned to serve as Agriculture Secretary, a post he held until 1994. He's now a member of Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens and Cannada, the state's largest law firm, and senior adviser for the Advisory Board for the Secretary of the U.S. Energy Department.

December 26, 1908-

* Jack Johnson, boxer, became the first Black heavyweight champion of the world on this day. He defeated Tommy Burns for the title. Johnson had boxed for several years before he had the opportunity to contend for a title bout. White boxers had refused to fight him. Finally, in 1908, Johnson fought reigning champion, Tommy Burns. Johnson was born on March 31, 1878, in Galveston, TX. During his professional boxing career, which spanned more than 30 years, Johnson had 113 fights with 78 wins-- 44 knockouts and 34 by decision. He died June 10, 1946, in a car accident.