No one in Dasani’s immediate family knew that June Sykes had served in this historic infantry. By the time Dasani heard this from me, her only association with “Buffalo Soldier” had come from a Jamaican reggae song. The lyrics of Bob Marley’s ballad held new meaning. “There was a Buffalo Soldier, in the heart of America,” Dasani sang along, bopping her head. “Fighting on arrival. Fighting for survival.”
