118th Congress

A special screening of “Major Taylor: Champion of the Race” was held on Capitol Hill. The documentary retraces the life and legacy of an American civil rights pioneer who set more than 20 world records in speed cycling during the heart of Jim Crow America. By the time he was in his early 20s, Major Taylor had captured the world cycling championship, the American cycling crown, and had set dozens of world speed cycling records – all while having to endure withering racial pressures. See a sneak peek here. This is an all-ages film.

Before the time of Jessie Owens, Jack Johnson, Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali; Marshall “Major” was the first black, sports superstar. He was a cyclist, the fastest in the world. Taylor was a civil rights pioneer. He pedaled through racial barriers, and helped to advance the rights of African Americans in sports. There are bike clubs and trails around the country, named in his honor.

On the night of Freedom‘s Eve in 1863, free and enslaved African-Americans gathered in churches and homes across the nation, eagerly awaiting the news of the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. At Midnight, all enslaved people in the Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers marched onto southern plantations, reading miniature copies of the proclamation to spread the news that slavery had been abolished in those states. However, not everyone immediately heard the news of their freedom.

A father is a son’s first hero and a daughter’s first love. I want to wish my superhero and all superheroes a Happy Father’s Day. I thank my father for his love, tutelage, tenancy and perseverance. If he wasn’t holding my hand, his hand was on my back. Thank you for instilling in me the strength to continue the work.