Juneteenth: A Truly Confusing Experience

JUNETEENTH: A TRULY CONFUSING EXPERIENCE

By John Leonard Harris, M.Ed.

We have celebrated for the second time the recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. All across this country folks were commemorating what they understand to be one of the most significant events in the lives of African Americans. The actual final vestige of slavery done away with never to rear its ugly head ever again. Well, if you know anything about history, you know better than that.

Historically in Nebraska, I have tried to make people aware of what the true history behind Juneteenth really is. Some years ago, I asked the organizers of the park event to allow me to read to everyone the actual words of the General Order 3 that General Gordon Granger proclaimed from plantation to plantation in south Texas in June of 1865. Most people celebrating Juneteenth have never seen the General Order 3 or have read it. Well, let me share it with you.

The order reads as follows: The people are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them, become that between employer and hired labor. The freed are advised to remain at their present homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

Now, let’s think about what this says and more importantly, what it meant to those who heard it back in 1865.

You are a slave, working in the fields on a hot Texas day in June. White men ride up in blue military uniforms and are talking to the person who owns you. The one who seems to be the leader is sharing with him a piece of paper. The conversation gets animated as your owner appears to be upset about what he is hearing. Nevertheless, the military man is making a circular motion seemingly to say “round up everyone.” The slaveowner immediately begins to scream aloud, “Come over here, come over here!” Of course, everyone obeys the command. Now, this is where it gets interesting.

The military man introduces himself as General Gordon Granger. He says that he has come to make an important announcement from the President of the United States and that everyone should listen carefully. Confusion moves through the crowd. Who is this man and what could the President possibly have to say to us?

General Granger begins to confidently read the order, which very few in the crowd seem to understand. Everyone is looking around trying to understand, “what is really going on here?” It is all so confusing. What is he really saying? What does this mean? Will he help us to truly understand what is happening here? He continues to repeat the phrase, “ALL SLAVES ARE FREE, ALL SLAVES ARE FREE!”

The questions abound. Free from the man who owns us? Free from these hot fields? Free from the drudgery of our day to day existence in this place? Free to do what? Free to go where? What does he mean by free?

The General says that though “all slaves are free” that they should stay where they are and work for pay. Again, there is confusion in the crowd. So, the plan is for them to stay on this property and continue to work these fields in this hot sun, and the slaveowner, out of the goodness of his heart, is going to pay them for what they have been doing for free? REALLY! Just looking at the slaveowner, there is a sense that he is not on board with the whole thing. He is just as confused, as his “newly freed slaves.”

We hear the General say that this there is “absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves.” Now, most of the people in the small group of slaves do not read, or not very well, so what he is saying does not resonate. Is there an explanation coming? This sounds like something that he should take some time to clarify. Everyone is left without an explanation and again confused about what to do with what they are hearing.

With his responsibility concluded, General Granger departs as fast as he appeared. There is nothing but shock and bewilderment on the faces of everyone. What did we just hear? What does it all mean? What do we do with this information? Where do we go from here? Can you imagine the rollercoaster of emotions that they are feeling?

Often, when people are celebrating Juneteenth, it is likely that they are not considering the depth of what was really happening. It is even more likely that many have never read General Order 3 or considered the mass confusion that was created with its reading. I cannot stop thinking about it and thought that perhaps the confusing events surrounding this day, which is so important now to many African Americans would be of interest to you as well.