“I am a lifelong Mississippian. I remember Jim Crow, 'colored' and 'whi...” — Mike Espy Quote

I am a lifelong Mississippian. I remember Jim Crow, 'colored' and 'white' water fountains, and my mother's inability to try on a dress in a store because no white woman would buy it if she put it back.

My brother-in-law is an African-American cop who patrols a New Orleans suburban community. He speaks to me often of his perilous duty.

We've got to replace the statues of Jefferson Davis and JZ George in the U.S. Capitol, and the people of Mississippi ought to have a say in it.

I remember integrating the all-white Yazoo City High School after my Black school closed its doors. Teachers sprayed me with fire extinguishers, and I carried a stick to fend off attacks from fellow students.

I do work very hard. I have been very colored by that education. I spent six days a week, seven hours a day training. That will always be the foundation of my work.

I've played 'The Wizard of Oz' for my kids, but by today's standards, it seems really long. I don't know if there's enough action in it for them. And there's the whole black-and-white sequence in the beginning where she's on a farm. It takes a while to get to the colored part, and then it gets more exciting, and things start to happen.

I love the power of the musician who composes and performs. I envy their ability to put a nugget of truth in three minutes of sweat and emotional outpouring, colored entirely from their thoughts.

White diamonds can get boring, so I love a colored stone.