Paul King

Paul King is the chairman of UBM Incorporated, the largest black-owned construction firm in Chicago, Illinois. In the following viewpoint, King argues that feelings of racial loyalty and kinship have ensured the survival and progress of African Americans. In the United States, he explains, racial identity has the largest influence on an individual’s self-concept and personality development; race also signifies culture and community. Those who reject feelings of pride and loyalty toward others of their own racial community suffer from a form of self-hatred, King contends. He points out, for example, that racially disloyal blacks have been known to work against changes that have benefited other blacks.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In King’s opinion, what is the “double encumbrance” of being black in America?
2. According to...