Indiana honors cycling legend Major Taylor with Distinguished Hoosier Award
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis native and cycling legend Major Taylor has received one of the state’s highest honors.
He posthumously received the Distinguished Hoosier Award. He died in 1932 at age 53.
Major Taylor broke barriers in sports and society, becoming a world champion cyclist and a symbol of perseverance. Today, his legacy continues to inspire generations.
Taylor’s great-granddaughter Karen Brown Donovan accepted the award on his behalf at a special ceremony Tuesday afternoon in the Rotunda of the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis.
Donovan said, “It’s everything that Major’s daughter, my grandmother, would’ve liked to have seen happen during her lifetime. Even though she’s no longer with us, I’d like to think she knows something special is happening in Indiana today.”
For Donovan, the award is an honor. Taylor was the world’s first Black sports superstar. The world class cyclist was dubbed the fastest person in the world. He earned more than 20 world records during his career.
He also fought for the rights of Blacks in the heart of the Jim Crow era.
Donovan says Taylor was also a family man who wanted better for the generations after him. “He was just very focused on making sure that his daughter’s path was a little bit easier than the one that he faced.”
She added, “Day to day, I love getting inquiries from cycling organizations down to schoolchildren who are studying about Major Taylor. It really has been an honor in my life to share his story with people.”
State Rep. Gregory Porter sponsored the award. The Indianapolis Democrat said Tuesday, “He broke barriers. Can you imagine moving forward, breaking barriers, and outperforming those individuals that had all the equipment and training? What he had was true grit to do what he did.”
Taylor is also the subject of a WTIU Public Television documentary that premiered in February that explores his life and accomplishments.
Todd Gould, senior producer and director at Bloomington-based WTIU, said, “For him to succeed in those conditions against those odds, and all by himself, he was able to do it with dignity and grace, and I think that is where his real legacy is.”
His legacy continues through events such as the IU Health Momentum Indy cycling festival that inspires cycling organizations, including the Major Taylor Elite Indy Cycling Club in Indianapolis, to celebrate his life.