Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to celebrate Juneteenth.
For many, that word doesn’t mean much because some don’t understand the history behind why we, as people of color, celebrate Juneteenth in June.
I only wish our younger generation had the opportunities I had in school.
I titled today’s blog “Six Degrees of Separation” after the people I met at this year’s Juneteenth celebrations.
The first was meeting a classmate of mine from the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USAMA).
I met my classmate through a conversation about our shared status as Command Sergeants Major.
It wasn’t until he asked me to validate my age by asking for my class number.
When I said Class 41, his eyes lit up because it was a connection to yes, I know you now, and validated my presence.
Class 41 was the last six-month resident class, from January 1993 to July 1993, before the class went to a nine-month resident class.
On July 27, 2026, they will welcome Class 77!
Not only were he and I graduates of the First Sergeant Course, but we were also graduates of the same learning institution (USAMA).
There are not many of us left who have attended both of these courses. The First Sergeant Course helped me become a better First Sergeant and improve my writing.
I’m sure many of us know the power of a red pen.
I’m always impressed when I have a connection or make a NEXUS through six degrees of separation.
For those who read, I would recommend reading Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Science of Networks by Mark Buchanan. (Author).
Once you read it, you’ll understand the power of networks, weak and strong ties.
I first learned the word and its meaning behind “Nexus” during my Starfish Training in 2010, when I was required to read Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Science of Networks by Mark Buchanan.
Speaking of Six Degrees of Separation, I met a gentleman during the Huntsville, AL (Juneteenth Celebration) wearing a B-52 Bomber hat. Ironically, he and I spoke about the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which crashed on Monday (June 15, 2026) shortly after takeoff.
Little did I know he was first a Navy Sailor, then joined the Air Force, retiring as a Major and a B-52 Bomber. The connection brought him back to show me pictures in uniform for both services or branches.
I am always humbled when I meet interesting people with interesting stories about the military.
I wrote in my journal that week how grateful I was to have met him and to have taken the time to start a conversation after seeing him in his B-52 hat at the Huntsville, VA Clinic.
Finally, I attended a Juneteenth Celebration in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where I met an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader who was the granddaughter of someone with a rich legacy in Pass Christian. Long story short, her grandfather and I have shared meals, and he has even been in my home here in Alabama.
I also have a Soldier whose daughter is also an Atlanta Falcon Cheerleader. His daughter is in her fifth year, and the granddaughter I met is in her fourth year as an Atlanta Falcon Cheerleader.
Each year, they must try out to remain an Atlanta Falcon Cheerleader.
I connected the two of them by sharing a picture, and they connected as well.
In life, we never know the people connected to us until divine intervention occurs.
As a final piece to this blog, I was introduced to reading for pleasure this past weekend, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr.’s book on America, U.S.A.
Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr.’s book on America, U.S.A., was read over Father’s Day Weekend as part of my Juneteenth Celebration. It was an interesting read and one that made me reflect deeply on my place in America.
I would never have known about this book had I not connected with a gentleman who not only reads my blogs and responses but is also a member of an organization we both support, the scholarship committee for the Jordan J. Corbett 555th Parachute Infantry Regiment, located in Tampa, Florida, known as the “Triple Nickels.”
On March 26, 2026, we connected in Tampa, Florida, during our Scholarship program, and we continue to stay connected through different levels of intellectual conversations. I consider him a strong tie!
We meet people every day we can add to our network. Who have you met this past week to add to yours?
Here’s something to think about, as some of you may know who Kevin Bacon is, but may not know how it’s tied to six degrees of separation.
Six degrees of separation | plus.maths.org
Today, I challenge you to take a moment to reflect on all the connections you know and the people who are both weak and strong ties.
“Six degrees of separation doesn’t mean that everyone is linked to everyone else in just six steps. It means that a very small number of people are linked to everyone else in a few steps, and the rest of us are linked to the world through those special few.”~ Malcolm Gladwell
“I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation between us and everyone else on this planet. The President of the United States, a gondolier in Venice, just fill in the names. I find it extremely comforting that we’re so close. I also find it like Chinese water torture, that we’re so close because you have to find the right six people to make the right connection… I am bound, you are bound, to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people.” ~ John Guare
