Colin Powell and I were once Black Republicans. He taught me to put country over party.

A patriot died Monday.  A man who proudly said, “I’m an American, first and foremost,” lived a life of integrity that stayed true to his statement. Colin Powell, 84, was extraordinary because he did something that we should all expect. Powell put country ahead of politics.

With Powell’s death Monday from COVID-19 complications amid his battle with cancer comes the loss of an important voice of reason for the Republican Party. His death is a loss to the country and the Black community. Powell was a trailblazer. He was the first Black secretary of State as well as the youngest chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, under former President George H.W. Bush, and the first Black national security adviser, under former President Ronald Reagan. He was a retired four-star general. Even when the Black community didn’t agree with Powell, he was respected.