Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell’s wife, Alma Powell, race has become a primary concern among people following her tragic demise on July 28, 2024.
Highlights
- Audiologist Alma Powell took her last breath on July 28, 2024, at 86.
- Powell was English from her father’s side and African-American from her mother’s side.
- Her mother was the first African American elected as assistant moderator of the United Church of Christ.
The reason behind tragic passing has not been disclosed yet, but it was reported that she passed away following a brief illness.
In addition, Peggy Cifrino, the former diplomat’s chief of staff and family spokesperson, confirmed the news.
According to a CNN statement,
Alma’s children, Michael, Linda, and Annemarie, remembered her as the grounding force of their family.
Moreover, everyone remembers the contributions she made as a professional audiologist.
Alma Vivian Johnson Powell’s Multiracial Identity and English-African-American Ancestry
Alma Powell, known for being a military spouse and book author who has served on the board of America’s Promise Alliance, is of English-African-American descent and is ethnically ambiguous or multiracial.
Powell was born on October 27, 1937, in Birmingham, AL. She is English from her father’s side and African-American from her mother’s side. However, her race is considered black Europeans from African ancestry.
Alma Powell, Dead. https://t.co/XTdBhwIy0a pic.twitter.com/wndWqq95ps
— d-d-d dead (@ddddead) July 30, 2024
Alma and her parents held American nationality despite their deep-rooted history with European and African countries.
Although they lived in America, they followed European-African cultures and festivals.
Talking about religion, Alma and her family had faith in Christianity and celebrated Christmas together.
Alma Powell’s Parents, Robert Charles Johnson And Mildred Elisa Bell Were Well Educated
Audiologist Alma Powell’s father, Johnson, served as the principal of Alma’s high school in January 1947 after the demise of W.B. Johnson.
He oversaw the addition of a guidance program and the school’s first accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
On the other hand, her mother, Mildred, was an educator, civil rights activist, and the first African American elected assistant moderator of the United Church of Christ in 1963.
Mildred pushed for the church to participate in the Civil Rights Movement. She was a 1926 education graduate from Kentucky State College (now Kentucky State University).
Alma’s parents married in 1936, and her mother, Mildred, was a teacher in Birmingham.
Mildred founded the first Girl Scout troop for African American girls in Alabama and was a Girl Scout district adviser in Birmingham.
Additional Information
- Alma Powell attended Pratt Elementary School and Parker High School. Later, she graduated from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, with a B.A. degree.
- Powell’s first job was as a radio show host of “Luncheon with Alam,” featuring women’s news and listening to music at lunchtime.
- Alma Powell had an estimated net worth of around $1.5 million at her passing.
