BRONZEVILLE — A documentary delving into the life and legacy of the country’s first Black professional cyclist, Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, premieres Monday.
“Major Taylor: Champion of the Race” chronicles the superstar athlete’s humble beginnings in central Indiana, where he worked in a local bike shop, to his rise to international fame in the late 19th century. The documentary tells his story through conversations with historians, archivists and members of Taylor’s family. Among those interviewed are Taylor biographer Michael Kranish, ESPN’s Kevin Blackistone and Olympic medalist Edwin Moses.
The documentary will play 7 p.m. Monday on Indiana PBS station WTIU, but Chicagoans can watch it on the station’s streaming platform once it hits the airwaves.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson is also featured in the film. The congressman, along with reps. Danny K. Davis and Robin Kelly, introduced a bill to honor the athlete with a Congressional Gold Medal in December. They are trying to build enough bipartisan support to get it passed. Fifty-eight representatives have signed on to the bill.
The film is narrated by acclaimed mezzo-soprano opera singer Marietta Simpson, with Grammy-winning jazz musician Branford Marsalis reading passages from Major Taylor’s autobiography, “The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World,” and Emmy-winning musical director Tyron Cooper composing and performing the film’s score.
The film crew followed members of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force as they made pilgrimages to Taylor’s final resting place at Mount Glenwood Cemetery and his mural near the Calumet River. Bronzeville Trail Task Force founder John Adams told Block Club the group is grateful for the chance to introduce the cyclist to a larger audience.
“We want to complete our mission to get Major the highest level of civic recognition this country has to offer, and this documentary will go a long way to educating the public and members of Congress on why Major is worthy, posthumously, to receive this honor,” Adams said.
The task force has been leading the charge to honor Taylor with a statue and a postage stamp. Kelly recently submitted the paperwork to get the plan for the stamp in motion, Adams said. Getting recognition for Taylor would bolster fundraising efforts for the task force’s $100 million plan to convert an abandoned rail line into the Bronzeville Trail, a 2-mile bike and walking trail akin to the Bloomingdale Trail’s 606. The project is receiving a $5 million boost from local and federal coffers this year.
Adams is hopeful the film tells the full story of Taylor — particularly his final years in Chicago.
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