McCoy’s Quest for Freedom

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Due to the racial discrimination that limited their opportunities, Black Americans have developed diverse skills to connect their creative work with their political activities and culture through many intellectual pursuit, including arts, music, and religion. All African Americans share the experiences of the forcible uprooting of their people from the African continent, followed by the quest for their freedom and liberation. African-Americans’ idea of expressing their desire for literacy, longing for identity, pain of exclusion and the assertion of their right have been the key factor by which many Black Americans developed the use of their talents to contribute to the development of the Black race and the retention of their culture. Even though Black Americans, by environmental influences, used to do arts and other related works only, they are actually able to successfully do professional jobs in many fields. It is in this way that Elijah J. McCoy’s skills in mechanics contributed to the phenomenon of re-connectedness and the continued struggle towards freedom of Black Americans.

McCoy was born on May 2, 1844, in Colchester, Ontario, Canada, to George and Mildred Goins McCoy. He was raised by fugitive slave parents with his eleven brothers and sisters. McCoy’s interest in mechanics started at his young age. An article titled Elijah McCoy found in “The biography channel” points out, “Beginning at a young age, Elijah McCoy showed a strong interest in mechanics. His parents arranged for him to travel to Scotland at the age of 15 for an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering”. Being raised under slavery conditions and having interest in mechanics confirms the natural intelligence of McCoy. Because of his life conditions, McCoy s...

... middle of paper ...

...ere, before enslavement, they were good at everything within their native land.

Generally, McCoy’s invention contributed to the continuing quest for freedom of Black Americans. This is because his capability of inventing new things frees Black Americans from whites’ mindset of being inferior and unable of thinking or running their own business and then after aspires them to struggle for their full freedom by working hard as they are able of living without interference of white people’s control. Through hard working, usage of his talent and the refusal of giving up make McCoy a contributor to the phenomenon of re-connectedness and the continued struggle towards freedom of Black Americans.

Works Cited

“Elijah McCoy.” 2014. The Biography Channel website. Web. Mar 20 2014.

Bellis, Mary. “Elijah McCoy (1844 - 1929)”. 2014. About.com. Web. 20 March 20, 2014.

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