Push to honor champion cyclist who has ties to Chicago

CHICAGO - There is a push to honor a champion cyclist who has ties to Chicago. 

Marshall Major Taylor was known as the "World's Fastest Man."

He was the first African-American to win an international championship in any sport back in 1899.

Not only that, but he was also the first Black athlete to compete regularly in open, integrated competitions. 

Among his many achievements, Taylor held seven world records in 1898 and won seven world champion titles by the age of 20. 

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The Bronzeville Trail Task Force is working to keep his memory alive. 

"We want Major Taylor to be recognized in the annals of history and the pantheon of great African-Americans who had excelled in a sport. We want him to be mentioned in the same breath as Jackie Robinson, as Michael Jordan, and he lived here in Chicago, died in Chicago," said John Adams of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force.

Adams says Major Taylor should be recognized with a congressional gold medal.

A petition on change.org launched Tuesday to urge Congress to make that happen.