In 1899, Marshall “Major” Taylor became the first Black American world champion in any sport. Then history nearly erased him. This is his story.
It was 1889. A young Black American boy was gifted a bicycle by the wealthy family who employed his father as a coachman. In just ten years, he would battle the racism of an entire nation to win the cycling world championship in Montreal — and cement his status as a living legend.
By the early 1900s, competitive cycling drew bigger crowds than baseball — and Major Taylor was its undisputed star.
From the velodromes of Europe to the historic six-day races inside Madison Square Garden, the public was enchanted by larger-than-life speedsters. Taylor, born in Indianapolis and later based in the more progressive Worcester, Massachusetts, was the most universally renowned of them all. He won the American championship, then the world championship in 1899, and shattered numerous world records in the years that followed.
He was the first Black American athlete crowned a world champion, and only the second Black athlete to win a world title in any sport. Yet “The Black Cyclone” has been all-but-erased from American sports history.
Original photographs of Major Taylor in training and on the international racing circuit — from the Parc des Princes velodrome in Paris to historic match-ups with European champions. Click any image to view full size.
An intimate portrait of the modest cycling celebrity who battled the prejudices of his own country and his fellow competitors to climb to the very top.
Major Taylor has to be the greatest African-American sports hero nobody has heard of. Howard and Maurer tell a compelling story.
Relives the sport of cycling in its prime, when people went to the ball game only after the seats at the bike track were sold out. An era dominated by Major Taylor — the world’s first African-American sports hero.
No one tells a champion’s story like another great champion. A powerful, compelling, yet bittersweet story — the untold dramatic saga of a legendary, pioneering icon.
History is a brutal editor, and one of its victims is Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor. Howard and Maurer have rescued one of America’s sports heroes in this welcome book.
Major Taylor’s hard road to glory demands to be depicted on the big screen. Howard’s telling is uniquely informed and passionate — it will inspire new generations to overcome.
Major Taylor lived his life with the idea of excellence — and that’s one of the things that Muhammad Ali stands for.
Join John Howard, Rene Maurer, and the cycling community at upcoming book signings, lectures, screenings, and Major Taylor commemorative rides. Sign up below to be the first to know about future events near you.
Annual community ride celebrating Major Taylor’s adopted hometown. Author meet-and-greet at the Major Taylor statue.
RSVPLecture and Q&A with John Howard at Major Taylor’s birthplace. Books available for purchase and signing.
RSVPCo-author Rene Maurer in conversation. Panel discussion on lost stories in American sports history.
RSVPHistorical tribute screening with film clips and authors’ commentary on Taylor’s six-day races.
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