Rich histories are uncovered during Black History Month. We always learn something new during the annual observance about those who have been instrumental to American history.
Such as the contributions of Black inventor Elijah McCoy, whose name echoes the popular expression “the real McCoy.” We’re not talking about “The Real McCoys,” that folksy TV show which aired from the late 1950s to the early ‘60s, or the 1960s rock band The McCoys.
Elijah McCoy was, indeed, the original real McCoy. The African American invented an oil-drip cup lubrication system in the 1870s for use with the steam engines which powered trains. It was something needed to keep those iron horses running during America’s expansionist era.
Researchers have determined that while there are other “real McCoys” in America’s lexicon, the true beginnings of the expression — “the real thing” — began with Elijah McCoy’s invention.
Railroad engineers sought to avoid cheap imitations of the best oil-lubricating system. They only wanted the “real McCoy” for use on their locomotives. The railroad usage went viral and the “real McCoy” has remained the standard we all search for in products, commodities, manufacturing or artifacts.
Elijah McCoy’s legacy is but one contribution of thousands that Black Americans have offered to make American lives better over the decades. Many times it has been a struggle for recognition and leadership.
Of course, there have been loads of real McCoys. Black entrepreneurs and elected officials continue to make historic inroads, with or without the help of fellow Americans.
Former President Barack Obama was the real McCoy when he was elected in 2008. Looking back on his electric Election Night appearance on that brisk November evening in Chicago’s Grant Park, the
excitement of the first African-American being elected president. The enthusiasm for his first term. It was a dynamic moment in Black history, and for the U.S.
The Illinoisan spent eight years in the White House. How many times during the presidency of Donald Trump, between 2017 and 2020, did we hear, “Wish Obama was still president?” For many, that longing persists as the nascent 2024 presidential campaign is among us.
A group of 170 bipartisan presidential historians recently determined Obama, despite his legions of
detractors, was a pretty decent president. He placed in the top 10 of U.S. presidents, according to those surveyed. The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project list of where presidents stand in relation to their peers placed Obama with an overall ranking of seventh. His successor, Donald Trump, placed last.
That means historians believe Trump has been the worst president since the inauguration of George Washington. Trump’s last-place finish at 45 put him even below William Henry Harrison, our ninth president, who was only president for 31 days. Elected in 1840, Harrison was the first president to die in office
at age 68.
John Tyler became the first vice president to ascend to the presidency following Harrison’s death.
Wags of the era named Tyler, “His Accidency.” He ranked 37 in the survey.
That bottom-of-the-barrel ranking must grate on Trump, who likes superlatives in his life and demeanor. He was so disrespected by those surveyed, he placed below presidents who were slaveholders. Surely, he doesn’t believe he is a cellar-dweller.
Unsure how his political supporters feel about his placement by those historians. Certainly, they could be eggheads in their thinking. A few of Obama’s predecessors also had lower rankings in the
survey. Bill Clinton was 12th, Joe Biden 14th (tied with John Adams, our second president), Ronald Reagan 16th. George W. Bush came in at 32.
Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, topped the list of presidents for the third time, following his prime spot in the rankings of the 2015 and 2018 versions of the survey. Rounding out the top five in the rankings were Franklin Delano Roosevelt at number two, George Washington at three, Theodore Roosevelt at four, and Thomas Jefferson at five.
Four years ago, the Democratic ticket of Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris again made history. Harris became the first Black female vice president. Like November 2008 and 2024, Black history isn’t relegated to a
mere month. Or limited to only a handful of real McCoys.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
sellenews@gmail.com
X @sellenews
