Hi, it's Jacquie Amos. 

With your help, we can make history by electing Mike Espy to the U.S. Senate on November 3. This is the most important election of our lives, and we need all hands on deck.

So let me tell you a story that you probably didn’t learn about in school. 

Throughout our country’s history, there have only been a total of 10 Black U.S. Senators. Here in Mississippi, we are proud that the first two Black U.S. Senators, Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, were from Mississippi. You may not know that. They were elected in the 1800s.

During Reconstruction, Black Mississippians had power. In addition to two senators, Black Mississippians were elected up and down the ballot: Sheriffs, mayors, congressmen. In fact, between 1867 and 1876, 226 Black Mississippians held public office, compared to only 46 in Arkansas and 20 in Tennessee.

But Reconstruction ended. Then came Black Codes, Jim Crow, and other systems of oppression that made it difficult for Black Misissippians to vote and to be elected to statewide and national offices. Mississippi hasn’t seen a Black U.S. Senator since 1881.

In fact, to this day, Black Americans are four times more likely than our white counterparts to experience racial discrimination when trying to vote or participate in politics.

Over the last two decades, we’ve seen increased rampant voter suppression take the form of voter ID laws, closed polling places, and more, especially in communities of color. This was made a lot worse when, six years ago, a Supreme Court decision dismantled a big part of the hard-won Voting Rights Act of 1965, stripping it of its effectiveness.

Despite all this, Mississippi is changing. Our state currently has the highest number of Black elected officials in the country. Now more than ever, Mississippians are demanding change and leaders who represent everyone.

It’s clear. We need more Black leaders in the United States Senate — especially when Democratic Party elites keep ignoring Black voters, overlooking the South, and signaling that a Black man can’t win in Mississippi.

Mike is one of five Black Democratic candidates running in the South. If we win our race in just 46 days, we can make history together and add more Black representation in Washington, D.C.

So, I’m humbly asking: Will you please make a small donation of $10 or more to help elect Mike Espy to the U.S. Senate in Mississippi on November 3? Anything you’re able to give will have a direct and immediate impact on our historic race in Mississippi, and we simply can’t do this without your help.

Thanks,

Jacquie Amos
Outreach Director
Espy for Senate