Events and Activities

June 27, 2024
PBS documentary & discussion
"Major Taylor: Champion of the Race"
Washington, D.C.


Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, D-Ill., and documentary producer Todd Gould with two of Major Taylor's great-granddaughters and their mother in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2024.

A segment of "Major Taylor: Champion of the Race," a documentary from WTIU Public Television (Indiana Public Media), was shown June 27, 2024, in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The hosts were U.S. Reps. Jonathan Jackson and Mike Thompson.

The free screening was followed by a panel discussion with the film's producer/director, Todd Gould, and Major Taylor's great-granddaughter Karen Brown Donovan.

The one-hour documentary explores the life and legacy of the fastest bicycle rider in the world at the turn of the 20th century, featuring interviews with noted historians, athletes, and social justice advocates. Passages from Major Taylor's autobiography are voiced by Grammy-winning jazz musician Branford Marsalis.

The film premiered on WTIU in Indiana on Feb. 26 and is being offered to PBS stations nationwide.

Additional in-person screenings have been held in other cities:

  • Feb. 29 - Indianapolis - followed by a panel discussion with producer Todd Gould, Butler University history professor Charlene Fletcher, Major Taylor Association president Lynne Tolman, and Major Taylor's great-granddaughter Karen Brown Donovan, moderated by Kisha Tandy of the Indiana State Museum
  • May 19 - Chicago - At Illinois Institute of Technology, hosted by the Bronzeville Trail Task Force, with special guests U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill.; Major Taylor descendant Karen Brown Donovan; and producer Todd Gould
  • May 22 - Worcester - Hosted by the Worcester Public Library and the Major Taylor Association, followed by a panel discussion with three-time Olympic track and field medalist Edwin Moses; Major Taylor descendant Karen Brown Donovan; producer Todd Gould; and historian Dart Adams
  • June 15 - Indianapolis - during the Indiana State Museum's Juneteenth Celebration

    • View the trailer.



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