Juneteenth 2024: 9 black-owned banks with a special history

This Juneteenth, there are numerous options for you to choose from for your banking needs, but did you know that you could bank Black?

“The number one reason it’s important for Black banks to be in existence is because the majority of them do work in what the United States designates as low to moderate income census tracts,” says the executive director of the consultancy group National Black Bank Foundation, Rod Chavez.

There are 23 Black-owned and run banks and savings institutions as of March 2024 according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the primary federal regulator of state-chartered banks that do not join the federal reserve. To qualify for designation as a Black-owned institution by the FDIC, a minimum of 51 percent of voting stock has to be owned by people or entities that identify as Black, or the majority of people on the board of directors have to identify as Black.

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“If we make the assumption that Black owned banks are more likely to provide credit on reasonable terms to Black clients than white-owned banks, then their absence is really important in the context of a situation in which black people are confronted with discrimination in credit markets,” says professor of economics at Duke University William Darity.

Be sure to do your own thorough research if you’re thinking about switching to or joining a Black-owned bank so you can make the most informed decision for your banking needs.

Some prominent examples of Black-owned banks in the U.S.

Here are nine of the oldest Black-owned banks in the country. You can find the full list here.

Citizens Savings B&T Company, a bank established in Nashville in 1904 with a goal of providing “assistance to low- to moderate-income and minority groups to enable them to realize their economic dreams.”
Mechanics & Farmers Bank, a bank established in Durham, NC. in 1908 with a mission to “enhance the wealth and well being” of the communities they serve.
Citizens Trust Bank, a bank established in Atlanta, 1921 with a mission to “promote community economic growth and stability.”
Carver State Bank,a bank established in Savannah, GA, in 1927 whose mission is to provide “the building blocks for financial freedom” to “improve the lives of low-income individuals and residents of distressed communities.”
Industrial Bank, a bank established in Washington D.C. in. 1934 with a mission to “impact economic development” in communities they serve.
First Security Bank & Trust Co, a bank established in Oklahoma City in 1951 with a mission to “create innovative and flexible banking products providing financial capital to small businesses.”
First Independence Bank, a bank established in Detroit in1970 with a mission to “be a beacon for capital accumulation for individuals and business entities by delivering financial services with an affinity for under-served and minority communities.”
Liberty Bank & Trust Co, a bank founded in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972 with a “focus on service, integrity and a sincere interest in community and business development.”
Commonwealth National Bank, a bank founded in 1976 in the Toulminville section of Mobile, Alabama, whose founders’ mission is to serve their own “neighbors, friends, and community members.”