In an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" former secretary of state Colin Powell spoke about many issues related to race coinciding with the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech including his belief that the ruling in the Trayvon Martin case was "questionable," according to USA Today.
In the Martin case George Zimmerman was acquitted on all charges after shooting the unarmed 17-year-old African-American Martin when the two got into altercation and Zimmerman pulled his gun in self-defense. The case received a great deal of media attention in part because it took over 40 days for Zimmerman to be charged with a crime and in part because it was thought that Zimmerman had racially profiled Martin. Zimmerman's acquittal was met with demonstrations and an outcry from the African-American community in particular.
"I think that it will be seen as a questionable judgment on the part of the judicial system down there, but I don't know if it will have staying power," Powell told CBS. "These cases come along and they blaze across the midnight sky and then after a period of time, they're forgotten."
Powell, a Republican who has endorsed President Barack Obama in both of his presidential campaigns, was a bit critical of the president for not speaking about race more often in his presidency, according to the Huffington Post.
"I'd like to see him be more passionate about race questions," Powell said."For the president to speak out on it is appropriate. I think all leaders, black and white, should speak out on this issue."
Powell, who was the first African-American to serve as secretary of state, didn't understand the full scope of the civil rights movement in the 1960s; he was serving in Vietnam so he was unable to engage in political activities. In addition his wife, Alma, didn't tell him about the happenings in their hometown of Birmingham, Ala., while he was away, according to the Huffington Post.
"If Dr. King was here, I'm quite sure he would say, 'Congratulations on all the progress that's been made, but let's keep going. The dream is not fully achieved yet,'" Powell said. "A lot has been accomplished, and we should be so proud of our accomplishments. But as the same time, that mirror should show us that there are still problems in this country, that there is still racial bias that still exists in certain parts of our country."
