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It Turns Out That Colin Powell Was The Uncle That I Never Knew I Had
Unpopular opinion or not; I’m at a loss over Colin Powell’s passing. Don’t @ me.
Yesterday’s news about the passing of Colin Powell oddly hit me like a ton of bricks. I say odd because he’s an unlikely person who – over the years – I have developed a profound respect for and even dare I say feelings of warmth toward. Typically, I revere folks like Bettina Love, Tiffany Cross, and Nina Turner. Needless to say, Colin Powell was a far cry from any of the three. Yet, here I am still somewhat taken aback over this great loss and the tremendous legacy that Powell left behind. Also, surprised by my reaction to his death which I suppose reflects the complicated admiration that I felt for Powell and makes the point that respect is not synonymous with always being in agreement. Maybe, Powell meant more to me as a Black male leader than I gave him credit.
I have grown to regret my harsh judgment of Powell and my initial disregard and dismissal of the extraordinary Black man he was.
When Powell served as the United States Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, between 2001 and 2005 by no means did I share his personal perspectives on politics. In fact, there were numerous occasions…
