Colin Powell

Colin Powell was named to the cabinet post of Secretary of State by President-elect George W. Bush. Powell will be the first African American to head the Department of State, the highest ranking position an African American has ever been appointed to within the Executive Branch of the U.S. government. 

Colin Powell was born in New York City on April 5, 1937. His parents, Luther and Maud Powell, were both immigrants from Jamaica. The family lived in the South Bronx and Powell attended public schools. He describes himself as having been an "average student." He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology from New York City College, where he also participated in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and attained the rank of Cadet Colonel. After graduation Powell received a commission as Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Colin Powell spent two tours of duty in Vietnam in the 1960's, and afterward he continued to achieve higher and higher level promotions in the Army throughout his military career, until he was named the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military command in the nation. He distinguished himself in this position during the Gulf War of the early 1990's. His main tactical philosophy has been come to be known as "The Powell Doctrine"; it holds that "American military force should only be used in overwhelming strength to achieve well-defined strategic national interests." Powell believes that the lives of soldiers should not be risked for anything other than a certain victory. He stated regarding the Iraqi army: First we are going to cut it off, then we are going to kill it." Powell won numerous military honors throughout his career, including a Purple Heart (he fell into a camouflaged trap consisting of branches and leaves laid over a pit in the ground containing sharpened bamboo spikes at the bottom - one of them pierced his foot), the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, and Bronze Star. Other awards received by Powell include a Congressional Gold Medal, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, an honorary doctorate from Yeshiva University, and an honorary knighthood from the Queen of England. He earned an MBA from George Washington University in 1971.

Powell's military successes in the Gulf War made him an extremely popular figure, and he has often been compared to Eisenhower, especially a few years ago when numerous groups attempted to "draft" him to run for President of the United States. He declined to run, citing his wife Alma's worries for his safety. He took a break from public office from 1993 until the present, declining an offer to be Bob Dole's running mate in 1996, and President-elect Clinton's offer of the Secretary of State position in the Cabinet he was forming when he won the election that year. Instead, he demonstrated his concern for the children by serving as Chairman of an organization called America's Promise, which hopes to "strengthen the character and competence" of American youth. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Howard University, the Board of Governors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Advisory Board of the Children's Health fund, and the Board of Directors of the United Negro College Fund. He has consistently spoken out in favor of Affirmative Action policies, recognizing the barriers of segregation and racism that he and all African Americans have to overcome; he also recognizes the efforts of the U.S. military through the years to break down those barriers.

Another reason for Colin Powell's almost universal popularity is that people see him as a "real" person, not a politician. He himself has stated that he is not "a professional politician," but rather someone who wishes to be of service to the nation, which he describes as a "big family," which must work together to help one another. Powell wrote an autobiography in the mid-nineties, called My American Journey. []

by
Susan Robinson