The Life Of Colin Powell

On Monday, October 18th, former secretary of state Colin Powell passed away due to Covid complications; he was fully vaccinated, however, he was battling Myeloma. Myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells that suppresses the body’s immune response. He passed away at age 84 with his loved ones surrounding him. 

Colin Powell was the first African American US Secretary of State. He was a Republican that helped shaped foreign policy.  Powell was recognized for his great accomplishments and was awarded the Purple Heart in 1963 and later that year the Bronze Star.  He is the highest- ranking African American public official to date in the country. After he stepped down from office, he helped campaign for Barack Obama, as well as donating to his campaign. Even though Powell was a Republican, he knew the world needed a generational change and that is why he supported Obama. 

Colin Luther Powell was born on April 5, 1937, in Harlem, New York. He was the son of two Jamaican immigrants, Luther and Maud Powell. He was raised in the South Bronx and went to school in New York. He graduated from high school in 1954, clueless of what he wanted to do next. He later attended City College of New York and found his calling in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). After joining the ROTC, he was soon commander of his unit; this set him on a military path with direction. Graduating top of his class, he entered the U.S. army in 1958.  He was soon commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Powell was stationed in Fort Devens, Massachusetts where he met his wife, Alma Vivian Johnson. They married in 1962 and had three children. 

While serving as the second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Powell was wounded twice while rescuing two soldiers from a helicopter crash. In 1962, he was one of the 16,000 military advisors dispatched to South Vietnam by then-President John F. Kennedy. After all of these accomplishments, he was named the first African American national security adviser during the end of Ronald Reagan’s presidency in 1987. 

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush appointed General Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The post is the highest military position in the Department of Defense, and Powell was the first African American officer to receive that distinction. General Powell became a national figure during the Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations in Iraq. Powell used his military strategies to develop what is now known as the  Powell Doctrine. The Powell Doctrine is an approach to military conflicts which advocates using force to maximize success and minimize casualties. 

 In 2000, George W. Bush appointed Powell as Secretary of State and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Powell’s main focus was on U.S. foreign policy, including strengthening bilateral relationships with Russia and China, and managing the U.S. withdrawal from Iran. However his focus shifted when 9/11 happened. Once 9/11 happened Powell took swift military action against al Qaeda. Powell demanded “immediate” cooperation from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the U.S. effort to hunt down those responsible for the attacks. Even though the majority of his term as Secretary was focused on Afghanistan and Iraq, Powell also pushed for international cooperation for North Korea and Iran to halt their nuclear weapons program. His reputation would be forever linked with George W Bush’s presidency.