You ask whether, in my judgment, the Negro is as good as the white man.
Now I will not venture to say that the Negro is as good as you, for I
do not know how good you are. But I will put it this way: The Negro is
as good as I am. You certainly cannot object to my appraising myself;
and I say that the Negro is as good as I am. I also say that I am as
good as you or any other man that lives or has lived or ever will live!