Senator Donald Oliver and the "Real McCoy"

Most people know the expression “The Real McCoy” to mean the genuine article — the best of the best.  What many don’t know is the expression dates back to a black Canadian-American inventor, Elijah McCoy, who created an automatic engine lubricator that revolutionized trade production on trains, on steamships and in factories.  

“The Real McCoy” is just one example of black Canadians’ long-standing contributions to Canada and the world highlighted by Senator Donald H. Oliver, QC at his talk at Dal on Monday, March 4.

Senator Oliver was the invited speaker for the James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies Distinguished Speakers Series. He presented on his 50 years of diversity advocacy, first as a Dalhousie-educated lawyer and, for the past 23 years, on the Canadian Senate. He spoke on the cultural and historical legacy of black Canadians, the need to acknowledge and reject old stereotypes and the need for black Canadians to, “believe in our own ability to shake up the status quo.”

Current JRJ Chair, Afua Cooper, in her opening remarks, said, “African heritage extends beyond February throughout the twelve months of the year.” Senator Oliver offered the following list of five ways the audience — particularly Canada’s black youth and future leaders — can join him in effecting a positive and enduring change on society.

1. Learn about and share black culture and history
Learn about black Canadian history. There are inventors like Elijah McCoy; explorers like Mathieu da Costa, the first black man in Canada, who arrived from Portugal in 1605; musicians like Portia White, who broke the colour barrier in Canadian classical music, performing more than 100 concerts worldwide including a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II. Learn about the uglier side of black history in Canada — which includes 200 years of slavery — and recognize the discrimination that still exists today.  Share what you’ve learned with your peers.  

2. Speak up and stand out
Speak loudly about racism or discrimination you witness or encounter. State-imposed segregation in Canada still existed in the first half of the 20th century. It is only through speaking up and standing out that we can expect and ensure change.

3. Strive to excel
Become a powerful agent for change by striving for excellence. Oliver quotes basketball great Michael Jordan: “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” Try to continually learn by seeking out new knowledge and reaching out to other people.

4. Serve others
Or, more simply, recognize the importance of giving back. Senator Oliver says this is a strong motivator for his political involvement.

5. Believe in yourself
Know that you can make a difference. Be confident in your ability to succeed. Using his own story as an example, he told an audience of 150, which included former Lieutenant Governor Mayann Francis and Dal President Tom Traves, of his rise from child of a poor black family to Canadian senator.  He encountered a number of racial and economic barriers but, thanks in part to the example of those who came before, he believed in himself. He kept going.

The evening also included a presentation of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal to Dalhousie law professor and director of the Indigenous Blacks & Mi’kmaq Initaitive, Michelle Williams-Lorde. Senator Oliver applauded the work that she does — as well as the JRJ Chair at Dalhousie — as initiatives which support opportunities for black Canadians.

“We have come a long, long way,” said the senator, who will retire this year. “But we still have a long way to go.”