Not only this, but the opportunity here afforded will awaken among us a new era of industrial progress.
It is a recognition that will do more to cement the friendship of the two races than any occurrence since the dawn of our freedom. President and Directors, the sentiment of the masses of my race when I say that in no way have the value and manhood of the American Negro been more fittingly and generously recognized than by the managers of this magnificent Exposition at every stage of its progress.
No enterprise seeking the material, civil, or moral welfare of this section can disregard this element of our population and reach the highest success. One-third of the population of the South is of the Negro race. The following is the address which I delivered:–
So far as my outward surroundings were concerned, the only thing that I recall distinctly now is that when I got up, I saw thousands of eyes looking intently into my face. As I remember it now, the thing that was uppermost in my mind was the desire to say something that would cement the friendship of the races and bring about hearty cooperation between them. When I arose to speak, there was considerable cheering, especially from the coloured people. Joseph Thompson, the President of the Woman’s Board, Governor Bullock introduced me with the words, “We have with us to-day a representative of Negro enterprise and Negro civilization.”
After other interesting exercises, including an invocation from Bishop Nelson, of Georgia, a dedicatory ode by Albert Howell, Jr., and addresses by the President of the Exposition and Mrs. THE ATLANTA EXPOSITION, at which I had been asked to make an address as a representative of the Negro race, as stated in the last chapter, was opened with a short address from Governor Bullock.
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