New Book Traces ‘The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker’


Over its long history, Chicago has seen plenty of firsts, but those stories aren’t always well-known today. Entrepreneur Jesse Binga is at the center of one of those stories.

Practically broke when he arrived in Chicago in the 1890s, Binga became a successful businessman, a symbolic figure and a champion of black Chicagoans.

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Now, the story of his life is highlighted in the new book “Binga: The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker” by longtime journalist Don Hayner, the former editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Hayner joins “Chicago Tonight” in conversation.

Read an excerpt from “Binga: The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker.”


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