Colin Powell

By Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis

Take an up-close and personal look into the lives of some well-known Christians who are successful leaders in their careers. The Today’s Heroes series features everyday people who overcame great adversity to become modern-day heroes. Kids ages eight to twelve will be inspired by the compelling stories of courageous individuals who are making a real difference. In Today’s Heroes: Colin Powell, learn the inspiring story of how an average kid from the Bronx grew up to become the first African-American ever appointed as Secretary of State. In fourth grade Colin Powell was put in the slow class, and in high school he only got Cs, but when he joined the ROTC while in college, his life changed. Through hard work, faith, and perseverance, Colin Powell rose through the ranks to become the first African-American to ever serve as the nation’s top military commander—chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Read the compelling story of a true pioneer and an American hero in Today’s Heroes: Colin Powell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Dec 15, 2009
• ISBN: 9780310865902

Gregg Lewis

Gregg Lewis es autor y coautor galardonado de más de cincuenta libros, incluyendo Arriésgate y Visión Global con Ben Carson, Tom Landry: Una autobiografía, Jesús M.D., y A salvo en casa. Él y su esposa, Deborah, tienen cinco hijos y residen en Rome, Georgia.

Book preview

2

Other books in the Today’s Heroes Series

Joni Eareckson Tada

Ben Carson

David Robinson

3

ZONDERKIDZ

TODAY’S HEROES: Colin Powell

Copyright © 2002 by Gregg and Deborah Shaw Lewis

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.

ePub Edition August 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-86590-2

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

ISBN: 0-310-70299-2

All Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from The Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1946, Old Testament section copyright © 1952 by the Division of Christian Education of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America and is used by permission.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Zonderkidz is a trademark of Zondervan.

Photography © by Wally McNamee/AFP/CORBIS

Additional Photography © by Reuters/Timepix

Cover Design: Lookout Design Group

---

06 07 08 09 10 •12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5

CONTENTS

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

1. Friend and Mentor

2. A Close-Knit Family

3. Surrounded by Love

4. Accepting Responsibility

5. A Place to Belong

6. Basic Training

7. Starting a Family

8. Facing Discrimination

9. In Vietnam Again

10. Working in Washington

11. Someone Right for the Job

12. Defeating Dictators

13. A Retired General

14. America’s Promise

Colin Powell’s Rules

About the Publisher

Share Your Thoughts

0310702992_content_0007_002

1

FRIEND AND MENTOR

On February 2, 2001, a high school senior stood in the State Department of the United States and introduced Secretary of State Colin L. Powell.

He began by saying, Hello, my name is Johnny Stone. I go to Ballou Senior High School. I’m a senior and my school is in D.C. I am Secretary Powell’s e-mentee. We exchange e-mails on a regular basis, addressing my schoolwork and life in general. It has been a pleasure this past year to be able to get to know Secretary Powell through e-mail exchanges—he’s a nice guy. And cool too. Now I would like to introduce my friend, my mentor, the secretary of state, Colin Powell.

Secretary Powell looked around the room. The students before him were attending Groundhog Job Shadow Day, learning about the jobs of the adults in the State Department. It was an exciting day for them—a day made even more special by the opportunity to meet the first African-American secretary of state.

Secretary Powell thanked Johnny for introducing him and explained to the audience that the two of them had been getting to know each other by e-mail for the past six months. They had become good friends even though this was the first time they’d been able to meet face to face. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a long relationship.

After welcoming everyone, Secretary Powell told the group that every year he looks forward to Groundhog Job Shadow Day. He deeply believes in this program, which allows young people from communities all across America to come into the workplace and see what adults—including old people like himself—do for a living and how they perform their jobs each day.

He went on to say, "You need to see what successful people are doing so that you can put yourself on that path to success. . . . At the end of the day, each and every one of you has to make a choice. Look in a mirror. Look at yourself. Look deep in your own heart and make a choice—a choice that says, ‘I’m going to be a success. I don’t care what obstacles are thrown in my way. I don’t care what people say about me. . . . I’m going to be a success. I’m going to be a success because I can be a success.’"

Secretary of State Powell reminded the young people that God has given them strong bodies, healthy minds, and the ability to make good choices for their lives, if they are willing to use the tools God and their parents have given them. He told them, Character is all about making those correct choices in life.

A few weeks later, Secretary of State Powell spotted a group of young people standing near the front door as he escorted the Dutch foreign minister out of the State Department after a formal lunch meeting.

Hi! How are you, kids? Colin Powell greeted them. Their nametags indicated they had come from all over the United States to visit the nation’s capitol for the week as part of a youth program sponsored by the Senate. Secretary of State Powell introduced the children to the Dutch foreign minister, who seemed surprised to suddenly be surrounded by a group of boys and girls.

The group was lined up waiting to come through security, so Secretary Powell asked, Where are you going? The kids told him they had come to hear a speech about the State Department but didn’t know who was to give the speech.

Smiling, Secretary Powell surprised the youngsters by saying, Forget the speech. I have a better idea. Then he led the group upstairs to show them where he and other State Department officials meet and entertain foreign dignitaries at luncheons, receptions, and dinners. He escorted them through special diplomatic rooms furnished with beautiful antiques. In one room, he pointed out Thomas Jefferson’s desk, on which, it is believed, Jefferson signed the Treaty of Paris, establishing American independence from Great Britain. Before the tour ended, forty kids and one slightly bewildered Dutch foreign minister received an unforgettable personal lesson in American history.

Why would a member of the president’s cabinet take time to talk to a group of students and show them around the State Department? Why would a man who regularly meets