MAJOR TAYLOR
“THE WORCESTER WHIRLWIND”
1899 WORLD CYCLING CHAMPION
A curriculum guide written by Virginia Walsh, Janet Dufault, and Arnold Pulda
for the Major Taylor Association, Inc.
www.majortaylorassociation.org
© 2002 & 2005 & 2011
Cover page: stencil artwork by Janet Bike Girl
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MAJOR TAYLOR
“THE WORCESTER WHIRLWIND”
INTRODUCTION
At the turn of the last century, bicycle races could fill Madison Square Garden in New York
City, and the biggest draw of all was Major Taylor, “the Worcester Whirlwind.” He was the
second black world champion in any sport and the first African-American athlete to achieve
international fame -- half a century before baseball's Jackie Robinson “integrated” the Brooklyn
Dodgers. Major Taylor had to fight prejudice just to get to the starting line. He endured hostility
with remarkable dignity and became the 1899 world champion and “The Fastest Bicycle Rider in
the World,” the fitting title of his autobiography.
The Major Taylor Association, Inc., is a nonprofit organization that salutes Taylor’s athletic
achievements and strength of character. In 2008 the association put up a statue of Major Taylor,
the first monument to an individual African-American in Worcester, Mass.
The Educational Association of Worcester and the Worcester Public Schools worked with the
Major Taylor Association to develop this curriculum focusing on the life and times of Major
Taylor. The curriculum is coordinated with city and state education frameworks. It fits with
character development education and the social studies curriculum, and can be used, for example,
for Black History Month or to illustrate the concept of “Hometown Hero.”
Arnold Pulda, a social studies teacher for Grades 9-12 in the Worcester Public Schools, wrote
the high school section for U.S. history classes in 2011. The section for Grades 5-8, added in
2005, includes a one-page biographical sketch that can also be used to introduce Major Taylor to
any audience. The skill sheets in the Grades 3-4 section were developed for a Major Taylor
Reading Week. The reading selection and discussion questions that follow are appropriate for
Grades 7-12.
The Major Taylor Read-a-thon materials, which have been used for an annual community
project in the Worcester Public Schools, are included as a fund-raising model for the Major
Taylor statue; fund-raising in conjunction with these materials is optional, and other fund-raising
models are welcome.
Teachers using these materials may request a free classroom poster. Contact the Major Taylor
Association at info@majortaylorassociation.org or MTA, PO Box 20131, Worcester, MA 01602.
Major Taylor curriculum guide developers
Virginia Walsh, teacher, West Tatnuck Elementary School, Worcester, Mass.
Brooke Arnold, teacher, West Tatnuck Elementary School
Stephen Soldi, principal, West Tatnuck Elementary School
Janet Dufault, past president, Educational Association of Worcester
Lynne Tolman, board member, Major Taylor Association, Inc.
Arnold Pulda, teacher, University Park Campus School, Worcester, Mass.
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RESOURCES
Major Taylor Association, Inc.
PO Box 20131
Worcester, MA 01602
www.majortaylorassociation.org
info@majortaylorassociation.org
The History of Jim Crow
www.jimcrowhistory.org
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/index.html
National Sportsmanship Day
www.internationalsport.com/nsd/
overview.cfm
Indiana State Museum
Search for “Major Taylor” in the collections
database:
www.indianamuseum.org/museumcollections/
main.php?module=objects
Biographies
Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career
of a Champion Bicycle Racer
by Andrew Ritchie (Bicycle Books, 1988;
paperback, Johns Hopkins University Press,
1996; revised edition, Van der Plas/Cycle
Publishing, 2009)
Major: A Black Athlete, A White Era, and
the Fight to Be the World’s Fastest Human
Being
by Todd Balf (Crown Publishers, 2008)
Major Taylor in Australia
by Jim Fitzpatrick (Star Hill Studio, 2011)
Autobiography
The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World
by Marshall W. Taylor (1929)
Children’s books
Major Taylor, Champion Cyclist
by Lesa-Cline Ransome, illustrated by
James E. Ransome (Simon & Schuster,
2004)
Marshall “Major” Taylor
by Marlene Targ Brill (Lerner Publishing,
2007)
Major Taylor, Bicycle Champion
by Luke Hayes (J. Porter Publishing, 2011,
e-book only)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... ......................... 1
RESOURCES............................................................................... ......................... 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... 3
MAJOR TAYLOR BIOGRAPHY AT A GLANCE.......................................... 4
GRADES 3-4
Major Taylor -- reading comprehension .......................... ......................... 5
Major Taylor, the Sprinter -- reading comprehension .... ......................... 6
The Worcester Whirlwind -- reading comprehension with numbers ......... 7
The Velodrome -- drawing .............................................. ......................... 8
Words From a Champion -- sportsmanship ..................... ......................... 9
Major Taylor Word Search -- puzzle ............................... ......................... 10
MAJOR TAYLOR READ-A-THON
Introduction ..................................................................... ......................... 11
Sign-up Sheet ................................................................... ......................... 12
Certificate of Participation … www.majortaylorassociation.org/curriccertif.pdf
GRADES 5-8
Superstar .......................................................................... ......................... 13
Strategy ..................................................................................................... 14
Investigations ............................................................................................ 15
Comparing Money Then and Now .................................. ......................... 16
News and Public Opinion ................................................ ......................... 17
Adverse Conditions ......................................................... ......................... 18
Creative Recognition Project .................................................................... 19
GRADES 7-12
Major Taylor reading selection ........................................ ......................... 20
Discussion Questions ....................................................... ......................... 21
GRADES 9-12
Introduction and Teacher’s Guide ................................... ......................... 22
Lesson 1: Major Taylor ................................................... ......................... 25
Lesson 2: Major Taylor, The Racial Component ..................................... 28
Lesson 3: Major Taylor, The Adult Man .................................................. 34
Lesson 4: Major Taylor Abroad ....................................... ......................... 38
Lesson 5: Major Taylor and the Sport, on the Bicycle .... ......................... 41
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Major Taylor biography at a glance
> Nov. 26, 1878: Marshall W. Taylor is born in rural Indiana.
> 1892: Nicknamed “Major” because of a soldier’s uniform he wears
while performing cycling stunts outside an Indianapolis bike shop.
> Fall 1895: Moves to Worcester, Mass., with his racing manager.
> Aug. 10, 1899: Wins world 1-mile championship in Montreal to
become the second black world champion athlete, following boxer
George Dixon.
> September 1900: Wins American sprint championship.
> October 1900-January 1901: Performs in vaudeville act with
Charles “Mile-a-Minute” Murphy, racing on rollers on theater stages
across Massachusetts.
> 1902-1904: Competes as a superstar in Europe, Australia, New
Zealand and the United States, with a brief comeback in 1907 after
a two-year hiatus.
> 1910: Retires from racing at age 32.
> June 21, 1932: Dies in a Chicago
hospital charity ward.
> May 1948: Ex-racers have Taylor’s
remains moved to a more prominent
spot in Mount Glenwood Cemetery in
Illinois and put up a marker stating,
“World’s champion bicycle racer
who came up the hard way without
hatred in his heart.”
FREE Major Taylor curriculum guide:
Grades 3-4 / Grades 5-8 / Grades 9-12
majortaylorassociation.org/news.shtml
Major Taylor Association, Inc.
PO Box 20131, Worcester, MA 01602
www.majortaylorassociation.org
1899 WORLD CHAMPION BICYCLE RACER
“Life is too short for a man to hold bitterness in his heart.” www.majortaylorassociation.org/who.htm
Black cyclist
breaks records,
defeats bias
A hundred years ago, when
bicycle races drew crowds that
filled Madison Square Garden,
the biggest draw of all was
Major Taylor. He was the
Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods
of his time.
Taylor won his first race at
age 13 in Indianapolis. Soon
bicycle manufacturer and former
racer Louis “Birdie” Munger
hired Taylor as a factory helper
and nurtured his racing career.
Blacks were banned from
amateur bike racing in the
United States in 1894, just as
bicycling’s popularity surged.
But the move stimulated the
growth of black cycling clubs
and black races, which gave
Taylor his early opportunities to
prove his ability.
By the time Munger decided to
set up a factory in Worcester --
in part to take advantage of the
biking boom, but also to find a
more tolerant atmosphere for
his black protege -- Taylor was
black champion of the United
States.
“I was in Worcester only a
very short time before I realized
that there was no such race
prejudice existing among the
bicycle riders there as I had
experienced in Indianapolis,”
Taylor wrote in his 1929
autobiography, “The Fastest
Bicycle Rider in the World.”
In 1897, the “Colored
Cyclone,” as the newspapers
called Taylor, had to abandon
the quest to become national
sprint points champion when
Southern promoters refused him
entry to key races.
When he did compete, he
faced hostility from white riders,
including threats and physical
assault. But Taylor didn’t lose
his nerve, or his popularity.
He held seven world records
in 1898 and won the world
championship in 1899.
Taylor was a steadfast
member of the John Street
Baptist Church in Worcester.
For years, he resisted invitations
to compete in Europe because
he refused to race on Sundays.
He finally signed a European
contract in 1901, was welcomed
as a hero in France, and went
on to beat every European
champion.
“Worcester Whirlwind”
Major Taylor
Book list
* Major Taylor by Andrew
Ritchie (1988/1996/2009)
* Major Taylor by Lesa Cline-
Ransome (2004, for children)
* Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor by
Marlene Brill (2007, youth)
* Major by Todd Balf (2008)
* Major Taylor in Australia
by
Jim Fitzpatrick (2011)
In 2008 the Major Taylor
Association put up a monument in
Worcester recognizing Taylor’s
strength of character, marked by his
sportsmanship, concern for the less
fortunate, devotion to God, and
personal struggle for equality.
Donations help with education
efforts and statue maintenance.
www.majortaylorassociation.org
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Directions: Read the paragraph and answer the questions with a complete sentence.
Marshall W. “Major” Taylor
Major Taylor was known as the “Worcester Whirlwind” and he became the world
champion of bicycling in 1899. A part of Mill Street in Worcester has been named the Major
Taylor Bikeway. Applebee's restaurant, on Park Avenue, has a display of Major Taylor
memorabilia. There is a group of people known as the Major Taylor Association, trying to
raise money to build a statue in the courtyard at the Worcester Public Library in honor of
Major Taylor. Some people know about Major Taylor. Soon, we hope a lot more will know
about him.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
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Find three details in the paragraph about Major Taylor.
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What does the Major Taylor Association hope to accomplish?
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Name _____________________________________________Date________________
Major Taylor, the Sprinter
According to stories told about Major Taylor he was a very smart competitor and was
determined to win. Most of the other racers were interested in winning money; Major Taylor
wanted to prove that he was the best. Time after time he outsmarted his enemies. They often
tried to hurt him during races because that was the only way they could beat him. He was a
great sprinter and often was the last man going into the final stretch; then Taylor would sprint
and pass all the other riders. The crowds loved him because he made the races exciting.
1. What is the main idea of this paragraph?
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2. What do you think the word “sprinter” means?
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3. What sport do you think is the most exciting to watch? Be sure to tell why you think it's
exciting.
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Name _____________________________________________Date________________
Directions: Read the paragraph and answer the questions.
The Worcester Whirlwind
Marshall W. “Major” Taylor was born in rural Indiana on Nov. 26, 1878. His family
moved to Indianapolis and he was raised and educated in the home of a wealthy white
family. They gave him a bicycle. He rode his bike every day. He was so talented he was
hired to perform cycling stunts outside an Indianapolis bike shop. His costume was a soldier's
uniform. People started calling him “Major.”
He won his first race that year, in 1892. In the fall of 1895 he moved to Worcester, Mass.
He trained by riding up and down the many hills in Worcester and worked out at the YMCA.
He became known as the “Worcester Whirlwind.” He set a 1-mile world record in 1898,
clocking 1 minute, 41.4 seconds. The next year he won the world championship at a 1-mile
race in Montreal.
How many years ago was Major Taylor
born?
How old was Major Taylor when he won
his first race?
How old was Major Taylor when he moved
to Worcester?
What year did he win the world
championship?
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
The Velodrome
The type of racing that was most popular when Major Taylor was racing was track racing.
Track racing is done in a stadium-like arena called a velodrome. The racers usually ride in
single file to reduce wind resistance. A modern velodrome is an oval track with steeply
banked corners that make it easier to go very fast. Velodromes can be enclosed or open-air.
The tracks are made of wood or concrete. Track racing is a main type of Olympic cycling
competition. Riders can compete in a variety of races, both team and individual. The races
can also be sprints or longer distances.
Use the information in the paragraph to draw a picture of what you think a velodrome looks
like.
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
Directions: Read the paragraph and answer the questions with a complete sentence.
Words From a Champion
Major Taylor wrote a book about his life, an autobiography, called The Fastest Bicycle
Rider in the World. In his book he offered advice to young athletes. He talked about the
importance of clean living and fair play. He believed to be successful in sports you need to be
physically fit, you should strictly observe the rules of the game, you need to practice
sportsmanship and fair play, and also to be able to handle an unfavorable decision with the
same grace you accept a victory. Major Taylor wrote these words in 1928. In sixteen years of
competition he was never charged with unsportsmanlike conduct.
If a classmate doesn't practice good sportsmanship in gym class or at recess, do you think
that student should be allowed to continue to play the game? Explain your answer.
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
MAJOR TAYLOR WORD SEARCH
C H A M P I O
N
A
W
H E E B C D E F G W
S E A L A W
I N B
X
H H I J K L M E N H
S
A
B C C D E R E N N I W
K L M N O L E
P F G H E I J K L M N O R P Q R S T K E
O A F A S T E S T R E T A L J O Y X K L
R R G E E S E N I F A N S P W
O R L G M
T E T E T G R A T A R G E T Y I A R F E
S T T E T S C O R C H E R S S R N E A N
M N S S E U C C L E V E R K A I D D D S
A I S T R O R Y E S I R O T N E Z A S W
N W
F U S P R I N T E R S H A S B E P O
M N P O K N A L S E M N O L T C I L R R
E T E T I A C S L A T H L E T E C U I C
U N D E V E I G U M D F I E E A Y E N E
T E A M O M N E F M I L M S W
G C A T S
A S L A T I G R M A J O R T A Y L O R T
T O E S A W
T E P T T A J U I W
E P U E
S T R I S W
U A V E L O D R O M E H E R
G S S Z K L P I U S H S Y W
Y I S U H J
B J G N B I K E
R
U O P C Y C L I S T O
ATHLETE BICYCLE BIKER CHAMPION CYCLIST
FANS FASTEST LEADER MAJOR TAYLOR
PACESETTERS PEDALERS RACING SCORCHER
SPORTSMAN SPRINT SPRINTERS STATUE STAR
TEAM TEAMMATES VELODROME WHEELMEN
WHIRLWINDS WINNER WORCESTER
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MAJOR TAYLOR READ-A-THON
INTRODUCTION
The sign-up sheet for the Major Taylor Read-a-thon that was used as a community project by
third- and fourth-graders in Worcester, Mass., is included in this curriculum as a model for others
who are interested in raising money for the Major Taylor statue planned by the Major Taylor
Association, Inc. In Worcester, the week of February vacation, during Black History Month, was
named Major Taylor Reading Week. Students were asked to sign up friends and relatives to pledge to
donate money for each page the students read, or a fixed amount. Students tried to read as much as
possible during the vacation week. The money collected was contributed to the Major Taylor
Association.
A certificate of participation depicting the planned Major Taylor monument, as drawn by the
selected sculptor, Antonio Tobias Mendez, may be downloaded at no charge from
www.majortaylorassociation.org/curriccertif.pdf and may be reproduced.
Donations to the tax-exempt Major Taylor Association are tax-deductible and can be sent to:
Major Taylor Association, Inc.
PO Box 20131
Worcester, MA 01602
For more information about the statue effort, visit www.majortaylorassociation.org.
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Name_____________________________________________Date__________________
Sponsor Name Per-Page Pledge Fixed Pledge Total Due
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
_______________________________________________________________________________
___
(Parent Signature)
Please make checks payable to Major Taylor Association, Inc. Donations are tax-
deductible.
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
SUPERSTAR
Many qualities contribute to the designation of a Superstar. Think about some famous
people today in terms of these attributes:
A. Natural talent training practice
B. Character personality philosophy
C. Fame popularity publicity
Write three paragraphs describing what you would expect the world cycling champion to
be like as an athlete and a person.
Compare your description to the biographical sketch of Major Taylor. How did they
match? Were there any surprising differences?
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
STRATEGY
When planning for a race a competitor must know the locale, the weather, and the
other participants. Major Taylor at different times employed three different strategies in
his races.
1. Come From Behind
2. Make the Most of an Opening
3. Take the Lead and Hold It
Choose one of these strategies and describe the advantages and problems you might
encounter with it in a bicycle race.
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
INVESTIGATIONS
In 1898 Major Taylor pedaled one mile in 1 minute, 41.4 seconds to set a world
record.
Have an adult help you measure some distances so that you have a good mental
picture of Major Taylor’s accomplishments. Use a car and its odometer to see how far
one mile actually is. (You could also walk using a pedometer, or bike using a cycle
computer, to cover one mile in a safe area.)
Mark out a measured distance in a park or schoolyard. Ride your bike over this
distance while someone times you. Try it from a cold, standing start; then try it where
you can get a “flying” or running start before the measured distance. Which method gave
you the best time?
Try your time on a track, or other long-distance area, and use only one gear.
(Remember that Major Taylor’s bike did not have any changeable gears.) How did this
affect your time and energy required?
Select a reasonable distance that you know you can safely travel more than once. Ride
this distance three times and record your time for each ride. (Be sure to take a rest and
drink liquids between each ride.) How did the third ride compare to the first two? How do
you think this might have influenced a racer’s chances to win?
Extra Challenge: What was Major Taylor’s speed in miles per hour for the record-
setting ride described above (1 mile in 1minute, 41.4 seconds)? For the distance you
measured and biked, convert your best time to miles per hour.
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COMPARING MONEY, THEN AND NOW
Several Internet resources can help you compare the relative value of prices and prizes
in Major Taylor’s lifetime and ours. Check these sites:
www.factmonster.com/homework/hwsearch.html
Click on “Math & Money,” and then “Money,” to see articles and charts on “The
Shrinking Value of the Dollar” and “Retail Prices of Selected Foods in U.S. Cities, 1890-
1970.”
www.gti.net/mocolib1/prices
Suggestions for researching prices and dollar comparisons are provided, along with
recommended sites for historic studies.
www.eh.net/hmit/ppowerusd/
“How Much Is That Worth Today?” provides a conversion worksheet.
Dollar amounts from Major Taylor’s time:
• Between 1889 and 1895, bicycles cost $50 to $100.
• A house lot worth $300 was Major Taylor’s first prize at age 16.
• In 1898 Taylor’s salary was $100 per week.
• Expenses for trainers, practice teams, mechanics, etc., were $3,000 to $5,000 for
the 1898 races in Philadelphia.
• In 1900 Taylor paid $2,850 for his house on Hobson Avenue in Worcester. Can
you find out from the city Assessor’s Office how much a house on Hobson
Avenue is worth today?
• In 1899 Taylor was offered a $10,000 contract to race in Europe. (He refused it
because he would have had to race on Sundays.)
• In 1901 he accepted a contract for $7,200 with no Sunday races.
• By the time of his retirement in 1910, Major Taylor was the richest black man in
Worcester (and one of the richest in America), with an estimated fortune of
$35,000 to $75,000.
Extra Challenge: The Iver Johnson bicycle manufacturing company in Fitchburg,
Mass., sponsored Major Taylor in 1900 and 1901, and his fame helped promote Iver
Johnson bikes through newspaper ads and promotional buttons. If Major Taylor had been
able to sign an advertising contract for product ads on television, how much might he
have made for his endorsements?
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NEWS AND PUBLIC OPINION
Try to give yourself viewpoint of someone living in 1897. Read the following account
from pages 78 and 79 of the biography Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a
Champion Bicycle Racer by Andrew Ritchie and consider the circumstances. Then do the
three separate writing tasks presented.
The hostility directed at Taylor came to a climax on the second day of a two-day
meeting in Taunton, Massachusetts, on September 23. He was physically attacked and choked
into unconsciousness by William Becker, a white rider from Minneapolis, after an extremely
close finish in the final of the 1-mile race. The winner, Tom Butler, was the Boston rider who
had been Taylor’s teammate in the inter-city pursuit race against Philadelphia earlier in the year.
Taylor was second. Becker, the third-place finisher, came up behind him, grabbed him around
the neck, pulled him off his bicycle, and threw him on the ground while maintaining a
stranglehold around his neck. The police had to interfere to restrain Becker, and it was a full
fifteen minutes before Taylor recovered consciousness. The crowd, agitated and angry at
Becker’s attack, threatened him, and only the police prevented the already ugly incident from
getting out of hand.
Becker claimed that Taylor had forced him into the fence during the race, but the source
of the hostility much deeper than this alleged foul. Becker had been on the circuit the whole
season and had seen Taylor’s popularity with the crowds. There was professional jealousy as
well as racial hatred behind the disgraceful behavior.
Becker was not arrested, but the incident was a sharp reminder of the aggressive feelings
that were aroused by Taylor’s challenge to white superiority in a sport previously dominated by
whites, as well as society in general. The two could not be easily separated. Becker’s behavior
was one of the first public demonstrations of the racial feelings directed against Taylor. What
most people only thought, Becker had acted out.
There was widespread comment in the press and unanimous condemnation of Becker for
his unjustified attack. … When the notorious case arrived before the chairman of the LAW
Racing Board, Albert Mott, who was expected at the very least, to impose a long suspension on
Becker, he handed out instead a mere $50 fine. Mott was afraid of the backlash from the other
riders if he was too hard on Becker, but also took into account Taylor’s alleged fouling of
Becker. But the practical effect of the small fine was to exonerate Becker.
A newspaper can print different types of stories:
• A factual reporting of who, what, when, where, how, and why;
• An editorial stating the official viewpoint of the newspaper on the matter;
• A commentary expressing a writer’s personal interpretation of the causes and
effects of an event or personal action.
On three different days this week (so that you can change your mood and viewpoint),
write three newspaper stories of your own about the Sept. 23, 1897, bike race in Taunton
and Becker’s actions at the finish.
• Be a reporter telling about the race and the attack.
• Be an editorial writer stressing proper sportsmanship.
• Be a social advocate rejecting prejudice.
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
ADVERSE CONDITIONS
Research the Jim Crow segregation laws in Indiana, where Major Taylor grew up, or
Massachusetts, where he lived during his professional bike racing career, or in your state. A good
starting point is the maps “Jim Crow Outside the South” and “Jim Crow Inside the South” in the
Geography section of the web site “The History of Jim Crow,” www.jimcrowhistory.org.
Also read about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.
Consider the hardships for a black athlete in Major Taylor’s lifetime in finding suitable
transportation, hotels, restaurants, and training and medical facilities, and the corresponding
effects these hardships would inflict on an athlete’s preparations and ability to perform. Use a
graphic organizer of your choice to display the differences in the relevant laws and practices of
1899 and 2005.
Extra thinking: Do you think that any of these hardships still occur in spite of the changed laws?
Are there times and places where subtle (or not so subtle) discrimination still takes place? Give
some examples to support your views.
More extra thinking: Why would trips to Paris, to other places in Europe, and to Australia bring
more Superstar treatment to Major Taylor compared to his treatment in parts of America?
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Name_____________________________________________Date________________
CREATIVE RECOGNITION PROJECT
In 1901 Major Taylor boarded a trans-Atlantic luxury liner for his trip to Europe and found
that a large floral arrangement in the shape of a racing bicycle had been delivered to his cabin.
What would you design as a “Bon Voyage / Good Luck” symbol? Would it be edible?
Humorous? A memento of home? Draw and/or describe in words your tribute. Would you
compose a song or jingle to go with it?
20
Name_____________________________________________Date________________
MAJOR TAYLOR
The following is based on articles written by Lynne Tolman for the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette
Bicyclists in Louisville, Ky., have righted a wrong committed there more than 100 years ago.
It was in Louisville in 1894 that the League of American Wheelmen, which then governed
bicycle racing, voted to ban blacks. The color line, and subsequent maneuvering over the
governance of the sport, had a particular effect on the career of an up-and-coming rider from
Indianapolis named Marshall W. “Major” Taylor.
Racial segregation relegated young Taylor to blacks-only racing clubs. By the end of 1896, a
year after moving with his coach and employer to Worcester, Mass., 18-year-old Taylor was the
undisputed black champion of America. But he aimed to be the fastest bicycle rider in the world,
period.
In the Northeast, where the color line had been opposed, Taylor encountered more open-
mindedness, and the League allowed him to enter the pro ranks. Still, racial intolerance was an
obstacle on and off the racetrack.
Because he was black, Taylor was refused entry to key races in the South and was sometimes
denied lodging while on the road. White riders conspired against him, and the hostility
sometimes turned violent. One opponent hauled him off his bike and choked him into
unconsciousness. When Taylor bought a house in the well-to-do Columbus Park neighborhood in
Worcester, some white neighbors were alarmed and tried to buy it back.
Nonetheless, Taylor kept his eyes on the prize, and his perseverance paid off. At the end of
1898, the 20-year-old “Worcester Whirlwind” held seven world records. In 1899, in Montreal, he
won the world championship in the one-mile sprint. He was the second black world champion in
any sport, after bantamweight boxer George Dixon, and the first black sports superstar, earning
more money than any other athlete at the time.
The modern-day League of American Bicyclists, led in the late 1990s by president Earl Jones,
formally revoked the ban on black members in 1999, although it had not been enforced for
decades.
In 16 years of competition, Major Taylor was never accused of unsportsmanlike conduct. He
was a religious man. He was a gentleman. In his autobiography, The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the
World, Taylor offered advice to young athletes. He talked about the importance of clean living
and fair play. He believed to be successful in sports you need to be physically fit, you should
strictly observe the rules of the game, you need to practice good sportsmanship and fair play, and
you also must be able to handle an unfavorable decision with the same grace with which you
accept victory.
21
Discussion Questions
1. Minorities are no longer banned from the L.A.W. and bike racing. Do you think it was
important, or necessary, for Earl Jones to request a formal repeal of the color line?
2. Tiger Woods and Venus and Serena Williams are dominant in their sports. They have gained
international fame because of their skills and abilities. Yet theyare also recognized because
they are the first blacks to reach these pinnacles in their chosen sports. Do you think they
should get special recognition because of their race?
3. Some people say that there are subtle social prejudices that play a role in determining
participation in sports by minorities. Do you agree or disagree? What would those social
issues be?
4. Major Taylor was faced with discrimination in many areas. He was denied entry into races, he
was denied entrance into hotels, and he was subjected to verbal and physical assaults, on and
off the track. Groups of riders would conspire to block him during races so he couldn't win. If
a race ended in a tie, the win would go to the white rider. Yet for his 16-year career he was
never accused of unsportsmanlike conduct. On and of the track he lived his life according to
the Golden Rule. Do you think there are athletes today who would conduct themselves in this
manner? Do you think they should?
5. Major Taylor's bike had one speed. Lance Armstrong’s bike has 20 speeds. Although the type
of racing they did is very different, how do you think their accomplishments compare?
6. Have you ever been a victim of prejudice? Are there people that you are prejudiced against?
7. The attack on the World Trade Center was motivated by hatred. The terrorists believe that
their motives are just. What would you say to someone who wanted to harm someone, or
discriminate against someone, because of race, religion or sexual preference?
