Major Taylor Association
Chesapeake Cycling Club is a proud Major Taylor Association Cycling Club​
and to highlight the humanity and dignity of this groundbreaking American cyclist
Who Was Major Taylor?
"Life is too short for a man to hold bitterness in his heart."
—Marshall W. "Major" Taylor
American bicycle racer Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor (1878-1932) was the world’s first black sports superstar. He was world cycling champion in 1899, American sprint champion in 1900, and set numerous track cycling records. Nicknamed “Major” in his youth in Indianapolis and later known as “the Worcester Whirlwind” after his adopted hometown in Massachusetts, he was the second African-American world champion in any sport (after Canadian-born bantamweight boxer George Dixon of Boston won his title in 1891). In the Jim Crow era of strict racial segregation, Taylor had to fight prejudice just to get on the starting line. He faced closed doors and open hostility with remarkable dignity. In his retirement he wrote his autobiography, “The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World.”
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Becoming a Major Taylor Association cycling club means that C3 is helping to support the maintenance and upkeep of the statue of Major Taylor in Worcester, MA, helping the Major Taylor Association present their annual George Street Bike Challenge, help teachers utilize the MTA's Major Taylor curriculum guide, and support other efforts to keep Major Taylor's legacy alive.
The World's Fastest Man | Major Taylor PBS Documentary​
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Major Taylor's Story | 2 min. Trinity Management Video​
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