In tonight’s Black history moment, Charles Blow gives a bit history on Black inventor, Elijah McCoy.
McCoy was born in Ontario, Canada after his parents fled slavery in the United States using the Underground Railroad. McCoy would earn an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering after his return to the states and go onto Scotland at the age of 15 to study the field.
“Despite his education, he was denied employment in the field. This injustice ended up being a blessing in disguise because McCoy would take a job as a railroad fireman,” Blow read.
Part of McCoy’s duties as a fireman included lubricating the trains so that they would not stop during travel, which gave birth to his groundbreaking invention.
His device became so popular that other engineers tried to copy it.
“This is where the phrase ‘the Real McCoy’ emerged, because those in the rail industry would request ’the Real McCoy,’ and not the knock-offs,” Charles added.
McCoy left a legacy in the concept of continuous lubrication for moving parts, that was used in several different engines.
He would eventually be honored on July 13, 2012 in Detroit, by having the first satellite location of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office named after him.
To watch BNC programming, visit https://bnc.tv/how-to-watch/
Follow BNC on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BNCNews
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BNCNews
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bncnews/?hl=en
#ElijahMcCoy #BlackHistory #BlackInventor
Be the first to comment