Reread this passage from a speech by Booker T. Washington, in which he explains why he believes he was selected to serve on the Atlanta Exposition's board of jurors. Suppose that some months before . . . there had been a general demand from the press and public . . . that a Negro be given a place on the opening program, and that a Negro be placed upon the board of jurors. Would any such recognition of the race have taken place? I do not think so. The Atlanta officials went as far as they did because they felt it to be a pleasure, as well as a duty, to reward what they considered merit in the Negro race. Say what we will, there is something in human nature which we cannot blot out, which makes one man, in the end, recognize and reward merit in another, regardless of color or race.

According to Washington, what type of evidence does his invitation to serve on the board represent? What does his inclusion tell him about race relations in the United States at the time?