"Dear Ben" letters surface |
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Major Taylor chronicles his breakout season |
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Letters that 18-year-old Major Taylor wrote during his first full season as a professional bike racer were recently discovered in storage and donated to the American Antiquarian Society. In this video, we discuss what the letters reveal.
Our historical interpretation also appears in the current issue of The Boneshaker, journal of the Veteran-Cycle Club of the United Kingdom.
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Indianapolis historian Tiffany Benedict Browne, center, tracked down descendants of local 1890s cycling figures and brought their families together during the International Cycling History Conference in July. The Major Taylor Association also was represented at the gathering. (Photos: Stillwater Images LLC)
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Cyclists' descendants right a wrong
In 1895, at age 16, Major Taylor became a member of the See-Saw Cycling Club, a Black club organized in response to the exclusively white Zig-Zag Cycling Club in Indianapolis.
In 2022, Taylor was posthumously accepted into the Zig-Zag club with an acknowledgement that the racial segregation of the sport was wrong and the treatment Taylor endured was hurtful and unjust.
A dinner dubbed the Gathering of the Grands, held July 17 during the International Cycling History Conference in Indianapolis, brought together a great-granddaughter of Major Taylor; descendants of Ellis Hunter, the first president of the Zig-Zag Cycling Club, and a great-grandson of Harry Hearsey, an Indianapolis bike shop owner who employed Taylor. Local historian Tiffany Benedict Browne, keynote speaker at the conference, organized the meetup.
Lucas Kizer, a great-grandson of Hunter, presented a Zig-Zag membership pin engraved with Major Taylor's name to the 1899 world champion's descendant Karen Brown Donovan as "a token that we owe it to each other to be better than those before us." Kizer said, "While we can't change the past, we can recognize and acknowledge the wrongdoings and destructive racism."
Donovan said Kizer's "very heartfelt words" left her with "many emotions." She said she "had the pleasure of knowing that these words were genuine" and that the families represented "want to set the tone of inclusiveness for future generations."
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Uphill time trial honors Major Taylor |
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Sixty-seven cyclists conquered extreme heat and a wicked steep incline in Worcester, Mass., on July 24 in the George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor. The uphill time trial, presented by Barney's Bicycle and the Seven Hills Wheelmen, takes place on a downtown hill where Major Taylor made his mark in 1895.
David Flynn (pictured), 37, of Shrewsbury, Mass., posted the fastest time, 23.13 seconds, for the 500-foot distance. Bob Johnson, 71, of Chester, Mass., shattered the course record for men 70-79 with a time of 32.54.
For complete results, photos, updated course records, news coverage, and raffle winners, follow links on the event web page:
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Bikes Blues & Bayous will spotlight Major Taylor at a book signing Aug. 5 and the premiere of the 25-minute documentary "Discovering Major Taylor" at the post-ride party Aug. 6 in Greenwood, Mississippi.
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Follow us on Twitter @MajorTaylor99 to stay up to date and #honorMajorTaylor.
Tailwinds,
Lynne Tolman
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