General Colin L. Powell Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The oral history consists of 2016.129.15.1a and 2016.129.15.2a: two versions (unedited, and edited) of a single digital video recording.

General Colin Powell was interviewed as part of the NMAAHC Donor Oral History Collection. General Powell donated several items to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, including a uniform that was displayed in the Military History Gallery.

In this interview conducted by National Museum of African American History and Culture Director Lonnie Bunch, General Colin Powell discusses his early life as the son of Jamaican immigrants and the journey to a long and distinguished military career that culminated in being appointed the first African American Secretary of State under President George W. Bush.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: August 2016
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Recorded by: Patrick Telepictures, Inc., American
• Interview of: General Colin L. Powell, American, 1937 - 2021
• Interviewed by: Lonnie G. Bunch III, American, born 1952
• Subject of: President George W. Bush, American, born 1946
• Subject of: United States Army, American, founded 1775
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.15.1a): 57.2 min.
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.15.2a): 56.35 min.
• Dimensions: 93.98 GB
• Place collected: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Jamaica, Caribbean, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Immigration
• Topic: International affairs
• Topic: Military
• Topic: Museums
• Topic: Politics
• Topic: Race relations
• Topic: U.S. History, 1961-1969
• Object number: 2016.129.15.1a-.2a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.