Marshall “Major” Taylor not only was the first African American world champion in cycling, he might have been the first internationally known sports celebrity ever. His explosive racing style earned him the nickname “The Black Cyclone.”
Learn more about Taylorin the 2016 biography Major Taylor: The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men Who Helped Him Achieve Worldwide Fame by Conrad and Terry Kerber, in 2019’s The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero by Michael Kranish and from the 2012 Smithsonian Magazine feature article by Gilbert King.
