Dr. Ja A. Jahannes

By Linda Sickler

He could do it all all - and did.

Dr. Ja A. Jahannes, who died July 5 at age 72, was a psychologist, university professor, pastor, writer, novelist, playwright, poet, librettist, music producer, spoken word artist, social critic and columnist.

After earning a B.A. degree with honors from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Jahannes earned two master's degrees from Hampton University, did postgraduate work at the College of William and Mary and received a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware.

Jahannes taught for many years at Savannah State University. He also was the pastor of Abyssinia Baptist Church in Savannah.

Throughout his life, Jahannes received many awards. He wrote and produced numerous plays, edited, wrote and published 11 books, including a collection of essays and a volume of poetry, "Black Gold: An Anthology of Black Poetry."

In addition to more than 200 articles, reviews and poems, he also wrote two oratorios, two symphony librettos, two opera librettos, a song cycle and lyrics for more than 100 songs.

Jahannes directed numerous theater and performance productions and lectured in Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Europe. As Dr. Whys, he hosted a community page about spoken word on Facebook.

A native of Baltimore, Jahannes grew up in the close-knit Turner Station neighborhood, where he learned the value of a good education and strong family values. He moved to Savannah in 1981 to become dean of the School of Humanities at Savannah State College, now Savannah State University.

Jahannes was married to artist and educator Clara Aguero. He had five children: son Tkeban and daughters Naftal, Tina, Ana Maria and Sara Lucia.

It was at SSU that Jahannes met Gary Swindell, a friend of 32 years.

"I was president of the theater club, the Players by the Sea," Swindell says. "He had just joined the faculty at that time.

"He was very smart, very funny. He was very focused.

"I've always done music compositions for stuff he'd written," Swindell says. "He had song ideas, so I'd put music to his poetry. I worked on 10 of his plays."

Jahannes and Swindell were working on a production called "Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly."

"It's about a group of people getting ready for marches and protests for equal rights back in the '60s," Swindell says.

The show will be presented as a memorial on July 26 at the Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St.

Jahannes had asked his family that a large funeral not be held, so private services were conducted July 7. A public celebration of his life will he held July 18, 2015.

"He challenged people to think deeper and question their habits and beliefs, to question the way they looked at things," Swindell says. "He always honored people, but asked them to question what was fair."

Through his contributions in so many areas, Jahannes leaves a strong legacy for the entire community. To his family, he was a beloved husband and father.

"His legacy is the testimony of his 5 children and how well they have done in life," Aguero says..

"My father's legacy is that he taught generations of people to believe in themselves and their own intelligence," Naftal Jahannes says. "He believed in honesty and integrity no matter how uncomfortable it might be.

"He taught his children and his students that it is up to you to create the life you want for yourself. If you don't like your world, you change your world.

"And lastly, of his female students, he told me once that he didn't allow them to shrink down in his classroom behind the males," she says.. "In his classroom, women students were to 'stand up and be brilliant."

"My father had an incredible combination of vision, self determination and community impact," Ana Jahannes says. "While he had a very public image, at home he was a family man, very encouraging, caring and a jokester.

"He was a constant reminder to live life with vigor and intention, but also to enjoy it fully," she says. "Thanks to him, I have always known that I can be whoever I want to be without limitations. It is from him that I learned the joys of curiosity and creation."

"His legacy was in his contributions to the arts and his ability to empower people through knowledge and education," Lucia Jahannes says. "His lifetime of work speaks for itself.

"His latest piece was 'I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly,' premiering at the Jewish Education Alliance on July 26 at 5 p.m.," she says. "Tickets will be sold at his Celebration of Life."

Celebration of Life, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2015 in Johnson High School Auditorium, 3012 Sunset Blvd., Savannah, Ga.

Reception, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2015, Beach Institute, 502 E. Harris Street, Savannah, GA.

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