Imagine trains frequently coming to loud, screeching halts as workers spent countless hours oiling their machinery, repeating the process over and over. This was the sad reality until one day, a brilliant Canadian-born inventor turned the industry on its head, outsmarted discrimination, broke barriers, and revolutionized modern engineering. He went by the name Elijah McCoy or “The Real McCoy.”
From Escape to Excellence
Born in Colchester, Ontario in 1844, Elijah McCoy came into the world as the free son of former slaves after their daring escape from Kentucky, USA, through the Underground Railroad. You may be wondering, what is the significance behind this infamous railroad? Well, this was the 1800s and, to say the least, things were very racist. Enslaved Africans in America faced unfathomable horrors, including children being ripped from their mothers at auction blocks, brutal whippings, backbreaking labour, and sexual assault. In addition, enslaved people were not considered human, but rather property that could be bought, sold, and killed. The Underground Railroad was their way out, and McCoys parents took that risk to find freedom in Canada.
When it came to young Elijah, while many kids were playing with toys, he was disassembling his father’s machinery, reverse-engineering it to find improvements. His curiosity took him to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he earned his mechanical engineering credentials through a scholarship, an accomplishment uncommon for a Black man in the 1860s. But wait, plot twist! Returning to North America with high-level accreditations, McCoy faced job discrimination and had to settle for a position oiling train engines. Although, after working there for some time, he had other plans.
The Invention That Changed Everything
In his role oiling engines, he discovered and became frustrated with the stop-and-go lubrication inefficiencies, so he created a revolutionary invention: an automatic lubricating cup that kept trains running without needing to constantly stop. This invention was so superior that railroad engineers would specifically request “The Real McCoy,” which started a coined phrase we still use today.
McCoy’s Lasting Legacy
Next time you hop on a train, work with automated machinery, or even go up and down an elevator, you’re witnessing the ripple effect of one man’s willpower to innovate, despite the odds stacked against him. Elijah McCoy’s story is about resilience, imagination, and the importance of pursuing your passion, despite whatever obstacles are in your way. The next time you come across well-oiled machinery powering our world today, take a moment to reflect on the genius of the “Real McCoy.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kwame Adoo is a Canadian entrepreneur and marketing professional, with parents from Ghana, West Africa. From a young age, he has had a passion for storytelling through poetry, music, and literature.
