Born in a hospital founded by his grandfather, Mike comes from a family with a legacy of power and success. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Howard University and attending law school in California, Mike returned to Mississippi to work as the managing attorney for Central Mississippi Legal Services in his hometown area of Yazoo City. Two years later, Mike became the first African-American Assistant Secretary of State. Four years later, he became the first African-American to be appointed Assistant Attorney General. In 1986, he was the first African-American to be elected to Congress since Reconstruction. He served there for seven years until he became the first African-American to be appointed as U. S. Secretary of Agriculture during President Bill Clinton's administration.