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Insight News • November 8 - November 14, 2010 • Page 3
Nigeria From 1
Photo courtesy of the family
Rev. Major Topps Jr.
Drum Major for education
“The bag of gold, the bag of gold,” the naïve children cried, not realizing that wisdom had the potential to earn them many more bags of gold in the future. The wealth of the future will be derived from developing the intellectual capital—the clay of wisdom—and the innovations of the younger generation to make Nigeria stronger. Should Nigeria migrate from
oil to soil, as is often suggested. I think not. It should leapfrog into the Information Age. Nigeria cannot return to an agricultural age because the West is being urbanized, the East is being eroded, and the North is being decertified. A Nigeria without oil must make the transition to a knowledge-based economy. Nollywood can redefine 21st century Africa as the continent of arts and innovation. If Nigerians have an average of three children per couple, it will become the world’s third most populous nation in 50 years. It will lag behind China and India,
but will have a greater population density. Where will we find farmland? My grandfather’s farmland was located where Onitsha market now lies. For countless centuries, my Igbo ancestors were farmers. Sons walked in their father’s footsteps, ploughing the same land. Their life expectancy was about 37 years. Daughters married early, had as many children as they could, and became young widows. My mother married days after her 14th birthday and gave birth to me six days after her 15th birthday. She was born in colonial Africa, where
she counted her age on her fingers and toes and by her age-grade affiliation. Yet she had a son who could count the ages of humanity on his supercomputer, which occupies the space of four tennis courts. Her son’s supercomputer computes and communicates as an internet and sends and receives answers via e-mails to and from 65,000 subcomputers. My father and I, followed by my son, broke the tradition of walking in our ancestors’ footsteps. My father was a nurse, and my son and I are computer scientists.
All three of us abandoned the soil to work in knowledge-based industries. Philip Emeagwali has been called “a father of the Internet” by CNN and TIME, and extolled as a “Digital Giant” by BBC and as “one of the great minds of the Information Age” by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. He won the 1989 Gordon Bell Prize, the Nobel Prize of supercomputing, for reprogramming 65,000 subcomputers as an internet that helps recover more oil.
By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief Major Topps Jr., 61, of Minneapolis, died Tuesday at North Memorial Medical Center, in Robbinsdale, MN. He was a drum major for education. Born on Sep. 11, 1949 in Detroit, Michigan Topps was one of four children of Delores and Major Topps Sr. Topps founded the organization Education is our Goal, which focused on the betterment of youth and Black youths get high school diplomas and pursue college degrees. He created and led several youth drum and dance corps, commanding the attention of children and their families with precision drumming and drills. He commanded the attention of the entire neighborhood on warm pre-dusk summer evenings. The joyous cacophony of Africa centric drum lines spoke distantly to all corners of the community. Even if you didn’t know exactly where they were holding practice, their rhythms infused the air with purposeful vitality, letting the elders know that the youth were ok. Topps is survived by one sister, Sharon Pierson, one brother Aaron Kellum, four children, Quantrell Fields, Kortne Morrow, Major Topps III, and Kyra Topps, five grandchildren along with legions of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. The wake will be held 5-8 pm Tuesday Nov. 9, 2010 at Estes Funeral Home, 2210 Plymouth Ave N., in North Minneapolis. The homecoming funerary celebration will be at 11 am Wednesday, Nov. 10, at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, 2519 Lyndale Ave. N. Burial is at Crystal Lake Cemetery, 3816 Penn Ave N., Minneapolis. Here’s how friends are remembering Topps in Facebook posts: Terra B. Cole via Northside Arts Collective Anyone remember growing up in North Minneapolis in the late 80’s and 90’s and hearing the drum core and later the step team walking up and down the street or in some parking lot practicing? That was Major Topps. For all of his colorfulness, craziness and love for youth and this community he will be sorely missed. Rest in peace Major... Zachary L. Metoyer Sr. RIP Major Topps. I got the news this morning that Major Topps has passed away. I knew that he was sick and we talked for a while whenever I saw him. People never gave him credit for the positive things that he did in the community. I will miss Major every time I see a parade, thanks for the memories! Aki Jaheed Abdul-Malik R.I.P Major Topps a real northside leader. May Allah show his grace on you on judgment day. If I had to tell it, I’d say you were a great man and beautiful father. PEACE Menia Formey Buckner One, of many things, you could say about Major Topps is he always tried to do something positive. Chrisita ‘MS Chris’ Green To All past and present members of First Step, Unity an U.N.L., this is a sad time for the Drill Team community. We have lost a great leader: Mr. Major Topps. There will be a mass Grand March in honor of Major Topps. If you would like to participate please contact Stephan Graham, myself or Jelisa Burns. Asia Ford RIP TO MY OLD DANCE INSTRUCTOR MAJOR TOPPS, IMMA MISS YOU MAJOR, DANCIN FOR YOU WAS SO HARD BUT IT WAS WORTH IT THE OFFICIAL 1ST STEP DANCE CREW PAGE Funeral arrangement for Major Topps Jr. will be as followed: This Saturday 11/6/10 a benefit for him at the Luxe Club 3836 4th Ave S. 8-until. There will be a $10 donation at the door, all the proceeds will go to the Memorial Trust of Rev. Major Topps at Wells Fargo Bank. 11/9/10 the Wake at Estes
a million reasons to
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