Colin Powell, first Black US secretary of state, dies of COVID Colin Powell, the former United States secretary of state and the first Black person in the country’s history to fill the position, has died of COVID-19 complications. Powell, a four-star general who last held public office in 2005, died on Monday, the family said in a statement on Facebook. He was 84. READ ALSO: Country music star, Don Williams dies at 78 “He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring...