About Jesse Binga
Lived 1865 – 1950 (aged 84–85). Jesse Binga was an American banker.
Jesse Binga (April 10, 1865 – June 13, 1950) was a prominent American businessman who founded the first privately owned African-American bank in Chicago. After his bank failed in the Great Depression, Binga was eventually charged with embezzlement, a controversial prosecution in the African American community. Protests and public petitions helped lead to his early release. He was granted a full pardon in 1941.
Early life Binga was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1865, the son of a barbershop owner and the youngest of ten children. He learned barbering, helped his mother to collect rents and made property repairs. Binga shrugged off these attacks and became even more popular amongst African-Americans and continued to prosper, attaining around 1200 property leaseholds. Binga founded a private bank in 1908, primarily for African-Americans, mainly because many banks excluded them.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jesse Binga's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jesse Binga?
American banker
When was Jesse Binga born?
Jesse Binga was born in 1865 in Detroit.
When did Jesse Binga die?
Jesse Binga died on 13 June 1950.
What was Jesse Binga's occupation?
Jesse Binga was a banker.
What nationality was Jesse Binga?
Jesse Binga was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jesse Binga. https://biography.guide/jesse-binga/
MLA: "Jesse Binga." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jesse-binga/.
Chicago: "Jesse Binga." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jesse-binga/.
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