Colin Powell: George Zimmerman verdict was 'questionable'

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an interview Sunday he thought the verdict in the murder trial of George Zimmerman was "questionable," and he also called on President Barack Obama to speak more about race.

Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Powell said he didn't think the acquittal of Zimmerman, who was accused of killing black Florida teen Trayvon Martin, would have a lasting impact on racial discourse in the country.

"I think that it will be seen as a questionable judgment on the part of the judicial system down there, but I don't know if it will have staying power," Powell said.

"These cases come along, and they blaze across the midnight sky and then after a period of time, they're forgotten," he said, adding that he would like to see Obama be "more passionate about race questions."

Powell, the first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that the nation has made strides toward racial equality, but that it is far from realizing the ideals set by Martin Luther King Jr.

"If Dr. King was here, I'm quite sure he would say, 'Congratulations on all the progress that's been made, but let's keep going. The dream is not fully achieved yet.' "