Banks Snared in Race Conversation, Confronted by Bleak Legacy

A picture of JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief Jamie Dimon kneeling in a bank branch, seen across the industry as opposing the mistreatment of Black Americans, is doing little to win over activists.

On Friday, about 100 protesters amassed outside his firm’s tower in midtown Manhattan, where an organizer with a bullhorn led the crowd in a call-and-response: “JPMorgan -- Shut it down! JPMorgan -- Shut it down!”

As the group moved on, Cristo Braz walked a few blocks and sat on the street, venting frustrations over racial inequality. “This is not just a social injustice,” Braz said of the ...