Black Bankers Fight to Hold Finance Accountable for Its Promises

In the two years since the murder of George Floyd, banking giants have touted intern classes and promotions with more Black people than in the past and unveiled a slew of programs aimed at making their workforces look more like the countries they serve.

Still, management at the biggest Wall Street firms remains mostly White, with Black senior bankers representing less than 10% of overall leadership, according to the latest figures. And high-profile departures in firms’ top ranks mean that employees lower on the ladder have fewer examples of what a Black banker’s career trajectory looks like.

Black bankers do point to signs of improvement. Because most of the ...