Colin Powell: ‘I Don’t Mind’ #BlackLivesMatter

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday morning that he doesn’t mind the #BlackLivesMatter movement or its slogan, adding that the U.S. has made substantial progress on race issues but still has a long way to go.

Powell, an African-American, acknowledged that many have been “left behind” as the country moves forward on combatting racism. “We should have no illusions about the fact that there are still people in this country who will judge you by the color of your skin,” he told Chuck Todd Sunday on Meet the Press.

Powell condemned the killings of African-Americans by police officers — and praised #BlackLivesMatter for bringing attention to the problem — but said “black on black violence is worse than white policemen on black violence.”

Todd’s interview with Powell was wide-ranging, and included an endorsement from the former Bush Administration official of the Iran nuclear deal, which has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Watch the video below, via NBC News:

[Featured image via screengrab / NBC News]

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