During a period when racism was prominent and Jim Crow laws were at their peak, Marshall “Major” Taylor, a black cyclist, rose above it all to become one of the most popular athletes in the world during the late 1800s and early 1900s. When Excelsior resident Terry Kerber heard Taylor’s story, he knew he’d found the subject of a great book. Kerber, a senior partner at an investment firm, co-authored the book with his brother, Conrad Kerber. “I wanted to write about a historically significant character that had not been recognized,” says Terry. Using Taylor’s scrapbook, including his own writings, letters and newspaper clippings he’d saved about himself, the Kerbers constructed a new biography: Major Taylor: The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men Who Helped Him Achieve Worldwide Fame, published in May 2014 by Skyhorse Publishing. Major Taylor, who made more money than Babe Ruth (while never competing on Sundays), is a story well worth sharing.
January 13
6:30 p.m.
Excelsior Brewing
421 Third St., Excelsior
952.474.7837
March 24
6:30 p.m.
Excelsior Library
337 Water St., Excelsior
612.543.6350
