As a patriot and Black man, Colin Powell embodied the 'two-ness' of the African American experience
- Written by Chad Williams, Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African American Studies, Brandeis University

Colin Powell knew where he fit in American history.
The former secretary of state – who died on Oct. 18, 2021 at 84 as a result of COVID-19 complications – was a pioneer: the first Black national security advisor in U.S. history, the first Black chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and also the...