Elijah J. McCoy was a renowned Canadian-American engineer who was popular for his inventions. He has received more than 50 patents for his works in his lifetime. One of the most famous inventions of Elijah McCoy is the cup that feeds smooth oil for machine bearings. He was a black inventor whose name meant the real thing.
Let’s look at some of the popular quotes stated by Elijah McCoy.
1. “We have established the enormous medical entity ever conceived, and people are sicker than ever. We cure nothing! We heal nothing!”
Elijah McCoy is a scientist and has made various inventions. His major invention was a cup that helps pour in the lubricating oil used for machine bearings. As a scientist, he feels that numerous inventions are being made for the betterment and enhancement of the lives of human beings.
But no matter how many inventions are being made, people get sick even more. Medical facilities have increased in today’s times, but still, it does not have the power to control the number of unhealthy people, which is a matter of grave concern.
2. “I’d rather we were rebuilding Philadelphia, as opposed to Kabul … There are American cities with serious infrastructure problems, and we’re not addressing them.”
As a scientist, Elijah McCoy believes in building the world to be a better place. The scientists have been working hard to build Philadelphia, which already has quite a few facilities that can cater to the citizens’ needs.
According to Elijah McCoy, scientists should focus on developing other American cities facing serious infrastructure problems that need to be improved. Moreover, the attention should move to the area which requires prioritizing.
3. “The whole purpose of education is to turn green buds into beautiful flowers.”
Elijah McCoy believes in the power of education. He feels that education’s purpose is to uplift people’s mindsets and shape them into being positive and knowledgeable. In this quote, he gives the example of green buds and beautiful flowers. He says that education has the power to bloom the green buds into beautiful flowers, which can alleviate the condition of our society.
4. “I got invited to what’s called the Gifting Suite in Toronto. I had the day off, so I’m going to see what’s what. You come out laden with wonderful stuff. If you go to the Oscars, you get given things like iPads. Not that I’m in it for the swag.”
In this quote, Elijah McCoy mentions an incident with him when he was invited to the Gifting Suite in Toronto. When he reached Toronto, he was free for a day, so he thought of visiting different places to understand the area and culture. He was surprised that it was such a wonderful place with many beautiful things. He was completely amazed by the city’s looks, and culture followed there.
Moreover, he mentions that if someone goes to the Oscars, they are given things like iPads and expensive stuff. But he believes that he is not there just for the sake of these things. He has a motive that is far beyond all of this.
5. “I am everybody, and every time, I always call myself by your name.”
Elijah McCoy was a black scientist who faced a lot of discrimination because of his complexion. He felt that the black community was suppressed and needed people’s support. Furthermore, he wanted everyone to get proper education so that this division between black and white does not create a hurdle for anyone.
Elijah is proud of his community, and he represents them. He likes getting called an individual of the black community and would always want to hear that.
6. “I told Ruth Rendell, ‘When you’ve written as many books as you have, it’s easier to write even more.’ She said, ‘No, dear, it gets harder.”
Elijah McCoy met Ruth Rendell, a renowned author who wrote many books. Elijah was completely mesmerized by the fact that she had written so many books. He told her that it must be easier for her to write because she has been accustomed to it. To this, Ruth Rendell replied that it is not true.
Writing a book requires an idea with a lot of patience. If you have written a book previously, you might have an experience, but you may not have a good idea.
7. “I take it that didn’t go well. About walking into a bear cave covered in honey.”
Elijah McCoy has been an extremely down-to-earth person. If he tries inventing something and it does not turn out to be well, then he takes it positively and learns from it. This quote describes walking into a bear cave covered in honey. He believes that if you are going somewhere with the purpose of learning, you should ensure you chase your purpose.
8. “Religion is the attempt to be in harmony with an unseen order of things.”
Every religion has rules and conditions that the people of the respective religion must abide by. Elijah feels that religion is supposed to keep the spirit of unity alive in humanity. But the order of actions that take place here is extremely unpredictable. Religion should never be a barrier to the happiness or unity of individuals. If it creates an obstacle, then there is no purpose for the existence of religion.
9. “I am too wise to woo peaceably.”
In this quote, Elijah says he is extremely good at peacefully seeking the favor of people. He has seen a lot of hardships as a kid since he belonged to a black community. But the hardships also taught him the power of convincing. He believes he has attained the quality well and can allure people into his thoughts and ideas.
10. “I dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation that doesn’t judge them by their skin color.”
Being an individual from a black community, Elijah McCoy had experienced a lot of traumas since childhood. But he did not lose hope and became a scientist. This proved that people of the black community had the knowledge and abilities to achieve what they did.
But amidst all this, Elijah feels that discrimination still exists the society and that he does not want his kids to go through the same hell. He wants his four kids to live in a society where every individual is respected.
11. “We believe that we can keep growing our business by collaborating with companies and educating them about equipment and filmmaking options.”
In this quote, Elijah McCoy states that often we believe that collaborating with different companies and organizations can help us grow our business. Also, we tend to educate the employees about various new technologies and equipment which are important for the company’s progress. But we should not stop here if we want to grow our business to the peak of our expectations. It requires a lot of brainstorming and pitches, which helps the upgradation. One should always keep that in mind.
12. “I wanted to look at a part of the culture, specifically black culture, in a way that was not focused on comparing it or viewing it through white culture.”
Since Elijah has been a victim of the discrimination of the black community, he expresses his desire to look at a culture that does not disrespect black people. Moreover, he wants both sections of society to stand together and for each other to progress in life. It will remove many social stigmas which exist in society. He hopes that one day, all of this will end, and a new ray of hope can be seen for humanity.
13. “Dream the impossible because dreams do come true.”
This quote is a motivational one stated by Elijah McCoy. He tells everyone to dream big even though it seems impossible. He believes that dreams do come true with the right state of mind and enthusiasm. If you have worked hard, no one can stop you from reaching your goal. Elijah himself had gone through a lot of mental trauma, but his dreams were big enough. He hustled to achieve them and finally did it.
14. “We still have a long way to go before reaching the promised land of freedom.”
Elijah had always felt a distance from the other communities that were not black. He believes that even though he became a scientist, the stigma and disrespect for the black community still exist in society. This is the reason for his statement. He feels that education is the most effective way to end it, but as of now, we have a long way to go before reaching the destination.
15. “The distance between the white and black communities can only be reduced with the help of proper education.”
In this quote, Elijah mentions the importance of education in reducing the distance between communities. He feels that there is a boundary that divides people into white and black. It develops a feeling of hatred and anger between them, which must be ended. For this, education is the best tool to help people have an open mindset that accepts people from all sections of society.
16. “We still have a long way to go before reaching the promised land of freedom.”
What’s the point of living? Success is what life is all about. Success: What Is It? Since success is so individualized, it can mean various things to different people. Some individuals define success as having money, fancy cars, large homes, etc. Success is viewed by some as celebrity with cash. Success also includes achieving one’s goals.
17. “Our belief is that we can keep growing our business by collaborating with companies and educating them about equipment and filmmaking options.”
It is a belief that business grow by collaborating with other companies, and making people aware about your product and company. Educating them about the equipment and filmmaking options.
The Real McCoy: How Elijah McCoy Created It
The steam engine was possibly the most influential invention of the American Industrial Revolution. A machine or wheel could be powered or rotated by boiling water and using hot steam to move a piston back and forth. This made it possible for factories to move away from reliance on wind and waterpower, enabling the construction of similar facilities everywhere.