Black Cyclists: The Race for Inclusion (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780252045752)

Cycling emerged as a sport in the late 1870s, and from the beginning, Black Americans rode alongside and raced against white competitors. Robert J. Turpin sheds light on the contributions of Black cyclists from the sport's early days through the cementing of Jim Crow laws during the Progressive Era. As Turpin shows, Black cyclists used the bicycle not only as a vehicle but as a means of social mobility--a mobility that attracted white ire. Prominent Black cyclists like Marshall "Major" Taylor and Kitty Knox fought for equality amidst racist and increasingly pervasive restrictions. But Turpin also tells the stories of lesser-known athletes like Melvin Dove, whose actions spoke volumes about his opposition to the color line, and Hardy Jackson, a skilled racer forced to turn to stunt riding in vaudeville after Taylor became the only non-white permitted to race professionally in the United States.

Eye-opening and long overdue, Black Cyclists uses race, technology, and mobility to explore a forgotten chapter in cycling history.

Author: Robert J. Turpin
ISBN-10: 0252045750
ISBN-13: 9780252045752
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Language: English
Published: 04/16/2024
Pages: 248
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.13h x 5.98w x 0.87d

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 04/01/2024 pg. 11