What was the name of the bank co-founded by Jackie Robinson?

The bank co-founded with Jackie Robinson was Freedom National Bank. Founded in 1964, it was an African-American-owned bank established to serve Harlem and expand access to capital within New York’s Black community.

Robinson was among the investors who helped establish the institution, alongside businessman and community organizer Dunbar Simms McLaurin, its principal founder. The bank’s creation extended Robinson’s activism beyond sports: he believed that economic independence and Black-owned businesses were essential parts of civil-rights progress.

Freedom National Bank grew into one of the largest Black-owned banks in the United States. Its main office stood at 275 West 125th Street in Harlem, and it eventually operated two Brooklyn branches. The bank struggled during the recession and closed in 1990 with approximately $101.9 million in assets. Its history is distinct from Carver Federal Savings and Loan Association, another important Black-focused financial institution in New York.