UK National Cycling Show (Birmingham NEC) Desire Discrimination Determination Black Champions in Cycling Public Exhibition

An exhibition for the National Cycling Show showing the rich and often overlooked history of Black cyclists. This exhibition based on research by Dr Marlon Moncrieffe gives photography, a broad collection of stories, personal reflections and interviews from the sport’s historical icons and present-day changemakers. The exhibition shows how prominent figures such as Major Taylor and Maurice Burton first discovered cycling. The exhibition highlights the mentors who encouraged them to pursue their ambitions as well as the explicit and implicit forms of discrimination they faced. From the first non-white rider to race the Tour de France in 1914 to the Black cyclists pushing boundaries today, this exhibition brings to light how a determination to succeed in the face of discrimination defined the racing careers of these great athletes.