Maryland’s Leaders & Residents React To Colin Powell’s Death

BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ) — Tributes from passim Maryland poured successful Monday for the precocious Gen. Colin Powell.

Powell, the archetypal Black U.S. Secretary of State, died Monday greeting of complications resulting from COVID-19, his household announced connected Facebook. He was 84.

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The quality came arsenic a daze to everyone, from Baltimore residents to elected officials.

“(I’m) wholly surprised,” metropolis nonmigratory Rod Robinson said. “Totally surprised. Just got the news.”

The retired four-star wide was afloat vaccinated against COVID-19, but his immune strategy was compromised by a signifier of humor cancer.

People who spoke with WJZ said Powell volition beryllium remembered for the bequest helium leaves behind.

“I was overwhelmed, heartbroken,” 1 nonmigratory said. “Because he’s a precise almighty man.”

Powell, who served arsenic nationalist information advisor and president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during respective statesmanlike administrations, made past successful 2001 erstwhile President George W. Bush named him Secretary of State.

The precocious wide is being remembered for having large power implicit U.S. overseas argumentation during his vocation successful nationalist service.

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“I’m inactive trying to get implicit it,” Robinson told WJZ. “I don’t cognize him personally, but I cognize him due to the fact that of who helium was and what benignant of relation helium played successful the world.”

Congressman Kweisi Mfume and Senator Ben Cardin some shared their sadness implicit the nonaccomplishment of Powell.

“With the passing of Colin L. Powell, America mislaid a large person and nationalist servant,” Mfume said. ” … He won bipartisan respect astatine location and astir the globe due to the fact that of his integrity.”

Said Cardin: “Secretary Powell was an unthinkable soldier, diplomat and person of our nation. … He took his acquisition arsenic a worker and utilized it arsenic a strategist to modulation our subject to conscionable the existent threats of America.”

Baltimore has its ain unsocial mode of remembering Powell. A wax fig of him is connected show astatine the National Great Blacks successful Wax Museum, which Powell visited successful 1996.

“A antheral that served good and present leaves present due to the fact that of COVID,” Robinson said. “God bless his family.”

In a tweet paying tribute to Powell, erstwhile Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said the precocious general’s decease was a reminder that portion vaccines connection extortion against COVID-19, they’re not all-powerful.

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“Rest In Peace, General Colin Powell. Thank you for your leadership, service, and being an inspiration to truthful many,” Dr. Wen said. “A reminder that the unvaccinated are 11 times much apt to dice from #covid19 than the vaccinated. Vaccines are precise protective, but virtually thing is 100%.”

Jessica Albert