Top 5 Black-Owned Banks in America - AfroTech (2024)

It was on March 3, 1865, the U.S. Congress, together with President Abraham Lincoln, established one of the first black-owned banks, the Freedman’s Bank, in the country after the end of the American Civil War. The bank aims to aid the black community, black-owned private organizations, churches, and charities, about financial literacy, and enable them to establish their financial strength.

Today, 21 black-owned banks continue to support many African-Americans as a wealth-building tool. They have total assets of more than $4.7 billion. They provide loans particularly to small businesses, churches, and other community organizations in the black communities.

If you are looking to bank black, we have listed some of the top black-owned banks in the United States.

The Harbor Bank of Maryland

Established in 1982, the bank started with a $2.1 million in assets. It is also the first bank in the country that offers Investment Subsidiary called Harbor Financial Services. As of today, this black-owned bank now has more than $280 million in assets and has deposits amounting to $219 million. The Harbor Bank of Maryland primarily serves the Baltimore area and currently has seven branches. The bank offers savings and checking accounts as well as time deposits, debit and credit cards, real estate loans, personal, business, automobile, and other installment and term loans.

Website: www.theharborbank.com

Industrial Bank

Based in Washington D.C., the Industrial Bank is a historic black-owned bank in the United States that was established in 1913 but was reorganized by Jesse Mitchell in 1934. In 1947, it became the first largest black-owned bank in the country, with a total of $6 million in assets from its 14,000 depositors. Today, the bank has total assets of $423 million and operates eight branches across Washington, D.C. One of the primary goals of the Industrial Bank is to provide loans for low- and moderate-income African-American communities to improve their financial status.

Website: www.industrial-bank.com

Citizens Trust Bank

This black-owned bank is an Atlanta, Georgia-based bank with branches in Birmingham and Eutaw. Citizens Trust was established in 1921 to serve the black community in Atlanta. Moreover, in 1947, Citizens Trust Bank became a member of the Federal Reserve Bank. The bank currently holds an asset amounting to $411 million and has operating ten branches. The bank focuses on providing different types of loans, such as business and real estate loans. They even offer an affordable housing program for the black community, especially to those who need down payment assistance.

Website: www.ctbconnect.com

OneUnited Bank

This black-owned bank is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. They are a registered member of the FDIC or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Since 2018, the bank maintained a total asset of $670 million, with only six branches operating. Their main objective is to provide services to low- to moderate-income African-American communities and even offer workshops to improve financial literacy.

Website: www.oneunited.com

Carver Federal Savings Bank

This bank is considered as the second-largest black-owned bank in the U.S. with assets totaling $664 million. Carver Federal Savings Bank was founded in 1948 and was named after the famous scientist, George Washington Carver. It provides financial aid, especially to the underserved black communities.

Website: www.carverbank.com

Top 5 Black-Owned Banks in America - AfroTech (2024)

FAQs

Top 5 Black-Owned Banks in America - AfroTech? ›

OneUnited Bank is the nation's largest black-owned FDIC-insured bank with offices located in California, Florida, and Massachusetts.

What is the most famous black bank? ›

OneUnited Bank is the nation's largest black-owned FDIC-insured bank with offices located in California, Florida, and Massachusetts.

What was the name of the first African American owned bank in the United States? ›

William Washington Browne, a former slave and Union Army officer from Georgia, founded the first Black-owned bank in America—True Reformers Bank—on March 2, 1888. The name of the bank was inspired by the Grand Fountain United Order of True Reformers, a Black fraternal organization established by Browne.

What banks are investing in black communities? ›

JPMorgan Chase & Co., the nation's largest bank made a $30 billion “racial equity commitment” phased over five years “to provide economic opportunity to underserved communities.” Bank of America, PNC Bank and Citi independently pledged at least $1 billion over a period of two to five years toward diversity initiatives.

Which two banks merge to form the largest Black-owned bank in the United States? ›

Two Black-Led banks, City First in Washington, DC and Broadway Financial Corporation in Los Angeles, CA announced today that they have entered into a transformational Merger of Equals agreement to create the largest Black-Led bank in the nation with more than $1 billion in combined assets under management and ...

What two Black-owned banks just merged? ›

Merge To Create Largest Black-Owned Bank in America. In an exciting development in the world of finance, two of the country's leading Black-owned banks — City First Bank and Broadway Financial Corp. — have finalized efforts to merge as City First Broadway.

What is the richest black bank in the US? ›

OneUnited Bank

This black-owned bank is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. They are a registered member of the FDIC or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Since 2018, the bank maintained a total asset of $670 million, with only six branches operating.

What are the 4 dirty banks? ›

The protesters marched to the downtown DC branches of the four targeted “dirty banks” – JPMorgan Chase, CitiBank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo – before staging a “die-in” to symbolize the global threat posed by fossil fuels.

What is the oldest black bank? ›

(WKRN) — The oldest Black-owned bank in our country can be found in Nashville, Tennessee. Citizens Savings Bank and Trust was founded in 1904, known as Once Cent Savings Bank. Three African American men dreamed of helping others build wealth and economic security.

Is Carver Bank still Black-owned? ›

From inception, Carver Bank has strived to fulfill the mission of its founders by providing local residents with a place to save, grow businesses and build wealth, block by block, and generation to generation. Today, Carver is one of the largest African American operated banks in the United States (NASDAQ:CARV).

Is Citizens Trust Bank still Black-owned? ›

As one of the country's largest Black owned banks, Citizens Trust Bank is FDIC insured. We're a full-service bank, currently serving customers in 49 states.

Is Citizens bank owned by African Americans? ›

Noted Bank Accomplishments

Citizens Trust Company became the first African-American owned bank in the United States to become a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

How many African Americans own banks? ›

In 2008, the Partnership for Progress was launched by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve to help promote and preserve minority-owned banks. But despite its efforts, the number of Black-owned banks has declined, from 48 in 2001 to 18 in 2020.

What's the name of the new black bank? ›

“We got the name Adelphi Bank from a Black-owned bank that was here in the 1920s, Adelphi Building Savings & Loan Company,” Miller says. “Three of my fraternity brothers owned it and they owned the building.”

Is Hope Credit Union Black-owned? ›

The investment in HOPE, among the first made by Netflix in Black owned financial institutions through the initiative, is supporting the financing of more than 2,500 entrepreneurs, homebuyers and consumers of color.

Are there any Black-owned banks in the United States? ›

Today, there are 40 Black-owned banks in the US. These institutions are working diligently to provide financial services to underserved communities.

Which bank has a black CEO? ›

Kevin Cohee is the owner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OneUnited Bank, the largest Black owned bank and the first Black owned internet bank in America. In the aftermath of the protest against police brutality in 2016, Mr.

How much of Bank of America does BlackRock own? ›

BlackRock owns over 491 million Bank of America shares, or 6.2% of its outstanding common stock. Its iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV 0.98%) owns about 0.9% of Bank of America's shares.

What is the oldest African American bank? ›

The need for a Black-owned bank was finally recognized in 1904 when the One Cent Savings Bank was founded by Nashville residents and businessmen R.H. Boyd, J.C. Napier and Preston Taylor. Today the bank is known as Citizens Savings and Loan and is now the oldest continually Black-owned Bank in America.

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