The first black US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has died from complications with COVID-19. He was 84 years old.

Powell suffered from multiple myeloma, a plasma cell cancer that negatively impacts the body’s immune response. He also suffered from Parkinson’s.

Powell was a notable name in the political world, whose career spanned from duty in Vietnam to becoming the first Black national security advisor during the tail end of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. He was on the Joint chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush. His career accomplishments would have catapulted him to becoming a contender for the presidency of the United States, but he was set back during his time in the George W. Bush administration. In the administration, he was appointed as Secretary of State, where he pushed shaky intelligence to advocate for the Iraq War.

Powell is survived by his wife, Alma Vivian (Johnson) Powell, along with his three children.