The National Bankers Association
NBA was founded on September 15, 1927,became the National Bankers Association in 1948
NBA was founded on September 15, 1927, as the Negro Bankers Association by Major Richard Robert Wright Sr. was a co-founder and first President of the NBA. Mr. Wright was also President of Citizens and Southern Bank in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The other co-founder, C.C. Spaulding, was the Cashier at Mechanics and Farmers Bank in Durham, North Carolina. During the course of time the name was changed to the National Bankers Association in 1948 and incorporated as a 501(c) 6 trade association on April 18, 1972 in the District of Columbia.
The purpose of the NBA is to serve as an advocate for the nation’s minority and women owned banks on legislative and regulatory matters concerning and affecting our members and the communities they serve; To maintain an information flow to our member banks relating to the sound and profitable operation of their banks.
The Mini History of the environment during that era before the founding of this great NBA.
The United States of America in the 1920s had a immense widespread of discrimination against all minorities. Congress at the time passed an anti-Asian immigration laws. The Klu Klux Klan, revived in Georgia in 1915, was a growing force in America. The 20’s also saw the rise of Marcus Garvey and his Universal Negro Improvement Association (Pan African Movement) . But these were extremely difficult times for America’s minorities. The 1920 census showed for the first time that urban population exceeded rural population. African Americans formed a major part of the move to cities. Only in 1922 did the U.S. begin recovering from World War I demobilization. Recovery was slow, and uneven. The farm sector remained deeply troubled. GNP rose from $70 billion in 1922 to only $100 billion in 1929. Electricity was coming into wide use in factories, powering assembly line mass production. Autos underpinned economic growth in the 20’s. Car registrations rose from eight million in 1923 to 23 million in 1930. But unions excluded African Americans. They had virtually no access to property ownership, housing, schools, or capital. Mainstream America feared African Americans for the reasons that they feared immigrates and immigration laws were passed that restricted Asian’s, competition for jobs and wages. This was the type of setting in which Wright and Spaulding started the Negro Bankers Association.
Today NBA is recognized as the trade association for the nation’s 177 minority and women-owned banks (MWOBs). The diverseness of minority members includes African-Americans, Native-Americans, American-Indians, East-Indians, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans and Women.
Approximately 22% of MWOB’s are NBA members. They are located in 29 states and 2 territories spanning 60 cities and the District of Columbia. They employ over 15,000. In the aggregate, MWOBs have assets in excess of 181 billion dollars and service over 3 million depositors. The minorities in the United States do hold a large percentage of buying power and the outcome of the percentage of economic growth and employment.
Resource NBA and Public Files. TYNS