Marshall "Major" Taylor
Track cycling champion, civil rights activist, and Indianapolis native Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor has been selected to receive the Distinguished Hoosier Award posthumously.
One of the highest awards given to Indiana citizens by the governor, the Distinguished Hoosier Award was sponsored by State Representative Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis), who represents the 96th Indiana House District in Indianapolis where Major Taylor lived. The award honors those who distinguish themselves by significant contributions to their communities, and whose qualities and actions endear them in the hearts and minds of Hoosiers.
“I think Indiana has a lot of unsung Black heroes who deserve to be recognized for the barriers they broke. Taylor was only the second Black athlete to win a world championship in any sport, and he was a trailblazer in a non-traditional sport. His sprint times are still considered some of the fastest in the world. Growing up as a Black man in Indianapolis, Taylor was a testament to how far grit and willpower could take you. I am honored to posthumously present this award to Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor for his legendary impact on Indiana,” said Representative Porter.
The Distinguished Hoosier Award will be accepted on Major Taylor’s behalf by his great-granddaughter, Karen Brown Donovan, during a ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse Rotunda on Tuesday, November 19, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Born in Indianapolis in 1878, Taylor was the world’s first Black sports superstar by the turn of the 20th century. Called “the fastest man in the world” by reporters, Taylor’s talent in cycling—the most popular and lucrative sport of the era—was celebrated by leading publications across the globe and by notable figures such as Booker T. Washington and Theodore Roosevelt.
On the track, Taylor captured more than 20 world records during his career. Off the track, he was an early civil rights pioneer who fought for greater social opportunities for African Americans in the heart of Jim Crow America.
Taylor is the subject of a WTIU documentary that premiered in February. Major Taylor: Champion of the Race explores the life and legacy of a once-celebrated athlete whose story had been lost to history.
“The documentary reflects WTIU and Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations' collective commitment to telling Indiana's most important stories, ensuring that Taylor's contributions are not only remembered but celebrated by future generations,” said IPBS Executive Director Mark Newman.
The Distinguished Hoosier Award is one of several honors that Major Taylor and the documentary has recently received. In May, WTIU Senior Producer/Director Todd Gould was named the winner of the Marshall “Major” Taylor Trailblazer Award for his work on the film. This award was a joint presentation by the Bronzeville Trail Task Force, a citizen activist group dedicated to preserving and promoting the historical legacy of Chicago’s African American community, and U.S. Representative Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-1), who introduced bipartisan legislation to award Major Taylor the Congressional Gold Medal. Then in June, Major Taylor was screened on Capitol Hill before members of Congress, staffers, and journalists. Major Taylor: Champion of the Race was also an official selection of the Heartland International Film Festival and was screened two times during the festival in October. Finally, starting this month, 299 PBS affiliate stations across the country will begin airing Major Taylor.
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race is available to stream for free on the PBS app. Watch a trailer and learn more about the documentary at wtiu.org/majortaylor.
Major funding for Major Taylor: Champion of the Race is made possible by the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation with additional funding by the IU Student Foundation and support from the Al Cobine Recognition Endowment Fund, Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, and the WFIU/WTIU Documentary Programs Fund.