Jegna

[The Talking Drum Collective]

"Sadly, we have begun to see the rise of males in the role of men.
And many of these males have pushed their way into the leadership
positions of organizations which claim to raise men from boys. Most
of them...believe that Afrikan manhood died in the early stages of
the Maafa and was then misreconstructed in this land as an
overraction to an overpowering, racist white supremacy. Further,
and most importantly, they argue that this misreconstruction is
beyond correction. In their role as mentors and teachers to Afrikan
males on their road to adulthood, they outspokenly embrace
homosexuality and effeminate male roles as authentic and credible
definitions of Afrikan manhood.
Before continuing this point, however, we should at least
briefly address the origin of the word mentor itself. In Greek
mythology, mentor is the adult male whom Odysseus, the protagonist
in The Odyssey, trusted to raise and protect his son Telemachus as
he traveled the world in search of adventure. Mentor, however,
apparently had other plans that went beyond the mere development of
Telemachus' cognitive skills. His intentions, as a Greek, were
naturally homosexual. Historically, in European culture, when sons
are left in the hands of adult males they become their sexual
victims. And this is what makes using the Greek term mentor, a name
directly descended from the mythical character Mentor, extremely
problematic for Afrikans seeking to maintain a heterosexual sanity.
We give power to others, and their way, when we use their culturally
peculiar terminology to define ourselves, those we honor and, by
default, their and our actions in the performance of those roles.
No matter how you look at it, 'mentor' in Greek society
essentially referred to any adult male who educated a boy,
exchanging his expertise for the right to sodomize him at will. It
was custom, a socially accepted rite of passage of boys into
manhood. Therefore, knowing Greek homosexual culture, we would have
to logically conclude that Odysseus left Telemachus in the care of
someone he could trust to 'correctly' and 'lovingly' introduce his
son into his homosexual adulthood. Odysseus, a Greek warrior who by
every historical account of interpersonal relations among Greek
military personnel, had to be homosexual, had to be aware of what
was in store for his son in his absence. And regardless of whether
or not we interpret the lines in The Odyssey to say that he knew his
son's fate or not, in European culture, 'mentor' was and is the
title held by those who bring boys into a homosexual adulthood. So,
speaking in the language of our ancestors, Afrikans shuold use the
term 'Jegna," not mentor, when honoring those Afrikans who
unselfishly put so much of their energy into training our youth to
be adult warrior scholars. Because, using the European language out
of which we speak and define reality, to call someone your mentor is
to call him/her your rapist.
Jegna is a word taken from the Amharic language of Nubia. It
refers to those who are altruistically committed, out of an
unqualified duty to their people and nation, to teach our children
the art and science of a politically conscious adulthood. Or, as
articulated by Wade W. Nobles...'Jegna (Jenoch, plural form) are
those special people who have (1) been tested in struggle or battle,
(2) demonstrated extraordinary and unusual fearlessness, (3) shown
determination and courage in protecting his/her people, land and
culture, (4) shown diligence and dedication to our people, (5)
produced an exceptionally high quality of work, and (6) dedicated
themselves to the protection, defense, nurturance and development of
our young by advancing our people, place and culture.'"

Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti
Homosexuality and the Effeminization of Afrikan Males