"No greater injury can be done to any youth than to let him feel that because he belongs to this or that race he will be advanced in life regardless of his own merits or efforts"

This quote by Booker T. Washington emphasizes the importance of specific effort and benefit in achieving success. He is alerting versus the idea of utilizing race as a means of advancing in life, as this will only cause disappointment and disappointment. He thinks that no matter what race a person belongs to, they must be evaluated on their own benefits and efforts. He is suggesting that it is unfair to provide somebody an advantage merely due to the fact that of their race, as this does not show their true abilities. He is promoting for a merit-based system, where everyone is evaluated by themselves benefits and efforts, despite their race. This quote is a tip that effort and dedication are the just real paths to success, which race should not be used as a shortcut.