A jegna is a person who is committed to and has a sense of duty to his or her people, who teaches children the art and science of a politically conscious adulthood.
Paraphrased from Nyansasem: A Calendar of Revolutionary Daily Thoughts
compiled by Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti
A person who qualifies as a jegna exhibits the following traits:
- Been tested in struggle or battle
- Demonstrated extraordinary and unusual fearlessness
- Shown determination and courage in protecting his/her people, land and culture
- Show diligence and dedication to his people
- Produced an exceptionally high quality of work
- Dedicated themselves to the protection, defense, nurturing and development of young people by advancing his/her people, place and culture
Been Tested in Struggle or Battle
Dr. Chike Akua is steeped in his culture. He grew up in a culturally rich environment with both of his parents who graduated from HBCUs (mom from Howard University and dad from Meharry Medical School). His parents made sure that there were positive images of Black folks in and around his home.
What might have been a bit different is that while growing up, Chike attended predominately white schools. Up until the 6th grade, he was a good student, consistently getting As and Bs. Then he went to getting Ds, consistent with the '4th grade failure syndrome' that Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu writes about in his books on Black children and education. It's around the 4th grade that Black students, particularly boys, begin to disengage from school.
It turns out that coming from what most people would consider a good home didn't keep Chike from potentially falling through the cracks. Fortunately, Chike has a sister who tutored him and he managed to get into Hampton University, but just barely.
And he had a support system. So what about those who don't?
There it is! The fire was lit!
Demonstrated Extraordinary and Unusual Fearlessness
While Chike was a student at Hampton University, African-Centered Education (ACE) was in full swing, as well as African-centered brotherhoods on college campuses. The positive results of cultural education were clear and all over his environment.
So why not take these positive results of cultural education and spread those results all over the country and the world.
"The teacher is either a bridge or a barrier," says Dr. Akua. And, while working in the most challenging school districts in the country, he has proven to be a bridge - and a bulldozer of barriers. Most importantly, Dr. Akua is a builder of bridges. Chike also gives affirmations to students to de-program and re-program them.
Student Affirmation
I am a student seeking to be a scholar.
The standard is excellence today and tomorrow.
I am disciplined, focused and on time.
I am on a mission to elevate myself, my family, my community and humanity.
Dr. Akua says, "According to master teacher, Professor Alfred "Coach" Powell, the classroom is really a class-womb."
So what is really being birthed in the average US classroom?
"The concept of education, as we know it, actually came from Africa," Chike said. "There was free education for men and women of all classes in Kemet (Egypt); there was free education for both men and women of all classes in West Africa. Also, the Moors, who were in Europe during the so-called Dark Ages (711 AD to 1492 AD), brought education with them and shared with everyone. So, really, we are the originators of free public education. Even W.E.B. notes in his book, "Black Reconstruction" that free public education in the South for all people "was a Negro idea."
Dr. Akua asks, "Can you imagine what knowing that would do for the regard of African children have for themselves and each other?"
Actually, yes, I can.
Shows Determination and Courage in Protecting His People, Land and Culture
When I asked Dr. Akua about what he thinks of charters schools, he said, "it's a mixed bag. Public education is a cash cow. Black and brown children are the majority of students in public school. There's a movement to garner the billions of dollars involved in education by privatizing schools. Put simply, rich white men want that money. Education Management Organizations (EMOs) are taking advantage of that and literally running off with billions of dollars in taxpayer money with no proven results in producing excellence."
Because of the public taxpayer money involved, some African-centered people who run schools, or who want to run a school saw this as an opportunity to get those dollars into Black community to pay teachers equitably, get buildings, and obtain supplies.
When I asked Brother Chike if he thought charter or privatized schools are doing a better job in delivering education than public schools, he said, "Only a few are, but overall, no. Privatized schools aren't doing a better job educating than traditional public schools. In fact, the most successful African-centered charter schools caught the most hell principally because they were getting great results. Look at Imhotep Charter High School in Philadelphia or the African-Centered Education Colloquium (formerly Chick Elementary School) in Kansas City, as two examples."
When I asked him about the phenomenon of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), he said, "a lot of what can be done to treat ADD/ADHD can be done naturally, without medicine. Too much screen time on phones, tablets, TVs and video games is problematic. The artificial colors, flavors and hormones in processed meats and foods, eating fast food and other things that are environmental, rather than natural, can be contributing factors to these conditions. So it makes sense that removing, or at least limiting these, would decrease the chances of these conditions occurring. But aside from this, most teachers aren't taught true methods to reach and teach Black melenated minds that move much faster and in a more complex fashion than the rate of eurocentric instruction."
Then Brother Chike asked me, "have you heard of drapetomania?"
I had. But in case the reader hasn't, I'll explain.
Drapetomania was a "disease" written about by a Dr. Samuel Cartwright, in 1851, published in a legitimate, scholarly medical journal, The New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, in which he claimed to have discovered this new disease in which...
A runaway slave is mania mad or crazy. It is unknown to our medical authorities, although its diagnostic symptoms be absconding from service, is well known to our planters and overseers.
It was common in the 1840s and 1850s for pro-slavery advocates to claim that Blacks benefited from being enslaved to Whites. For Cartwright, and other pro-slavery defenders, any Black slave who tried to escape must be "crazy." The "uncontrollable urge" to run away was a symptom of the mental disorder. Later, Cartwright would argue that drapetomania could be prevented by "beating the devil out of them."
Amputation of the toes was also suggested (from : http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/question/nov05.htm).
"I see ADD and ADHD in the same way I see drapetomania -- "diseases" there were made up in order to serve another purpose by those in power. And if there is really such a thing as ADD or ADHD, there are ways to alleviate the symptoms without medication, like watching your child's sugar intake."
Well, we see that Brother Chike has no problem calling things as he sees them.
Show Determination and Courage in Protecting His/Her People
"My wife and I decided to home school our sons. Their schools wanted to put them in the gifted and talented class. They were among the only Black children in the Gifted and Talented program. "But we started to notice that they were being separated from the other Black students at the school. My sons were being isolated from other Black children under the guise of being 'special'."
Chike and his wife didn't like that. They don't want their sons to feel separated from their own people.
Show Diligence and Dedication to His People
Chike is part of the Buy Black Movement. The Buy Black Movement brings together those who supply products, those who sell products, with those who want to patronize Black-owned businesses. Included in the Buy Black Movement product lines are Chike Akua's videos and books, along with others. It's free to join and for at little as $30 per month, you can get the products you need each month. Examples of different products include:
- Accessories
- Art work
- Personal care
- DVDs
- Cosmetics
- Nutritional products
"We have come to realize that the only way our race will advance economically is by Black people buy from Black-owned businesses on a massive scale. As a result, we launched the Buy Black Movement in order to get millions of Black people buying consistently buying Black (http://www.buyblackmovement.com/About)."
Produced an Exceptionally High Quality of Work
Chike has a series of books, videos, presentations, posters and affirmations which can be found on his website. Trust me, if you have the opportunity to attend one of his presentations, please do so. He's one of the most sought-after speakers at K-12 schools, colleges, universities and educational conferences. At from participating in one of his presentations, I can certainly understand why. Chike is highly engaging, very knowledgeable and actually fun to listen to. Plus, you'll learn something -- all of which is a "win."
Dedicate Themselves to the Protection, Defense, Nurturing and Development of Young People by Advancing His People, Place and Culture
What better way to protect our children than to teach and train those who arguably spend more time with most children than their parents and other family members...their teachers. As a Master Teacher, Dr. Chike Akua shows teachers all over the country not to view our children as the embodiment of behavior problems, incompetent students, or "problem" children. He teaches teachers to see our children as brilliant and capable, regardless of a challenging home environment. He says, "Those who think Our Children cannot be reached have never seen a Master Teacher teach!"
As he also says, "Send me a student and I'm going to send you a scholar."
Indeed...Dr. Chike Akua certainly qualifies as a jegna!
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