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Happy Birthday, Major Taylor!
On this day, 134 years ago, a cycling legend was born: Marshall “Major” Taylor.
Born in rural Indiana in 1878, Taylor was a pioneer in American sport — not just in bicycling. Shattering cycling records even as a teenager, Taylor was the first African-American athlete to achieve the level of world champion and only the second black man to win a world championship. But, even more than his impressive victories on the track, Taylor was a trailblazer for equity in sport.
According to the Major Taylor Bicycling Club of Minnesota: “What made [Taylor's] accomplishments even more impressive was the fact that he was a black man who overcame open racism and overt threats of violence by those who did not want to see him succeed, because track cycling at that time was dominated by the Europeans. He established several world records during his 16 years of competition. In the 168 races in which he competed, he finished first in 117 and finished second in 32.”
As Taylor himself acknowledged in his autobiography: “In most of my races I not only struggled for victory but also for my very life and limb. Only my dauntless courage and the indomitable fighting spirit I possessed allowed me to carry on in the face of tremendous odds.”
That courage and spirit continues to inspire cyclists today, with dozens of Major Taylor cycling clubs in communities nationwide.
Let’s all take a moment today to tip our helmets to a true leader of our movement.
Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
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November 26th, 2012 at 10:26 am
Major Taylor is an inspiration to all people working to achieve their goals in the face of adversity. I definitely agree that his courage and spirit continues to inspire cyclists.
I just finished a book on his cycling tours in Australia in 1903-1904, “Major Taylor in Australia”, written by Jim Fitzpatrick. I plan on writing a paper about Hugh McIntosh the Australian sports promoter who coordinated the tours, Taylor’s experience in Australia and the impact of the tours on Australian cycling. “Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer” by Andrew Ritchie provides excellent detail on Taylor’s Australian experience.
November 27th, 2012 at 3:09 am
[...] the 134th birthday of possibly America’s greatest cyclist, with all due apologies to that doper from Texas Lance. Bicycling asks if it’s time for a [...]