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The Ridge Historical Society is sponsoring an upcoming program at the Givins Castle that is sure to be excellent. On Sunday, April 7, at 2:00 p.m., presenter Don Hayner will discuss his book, "Binga, The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker," scheduled for release in November 2019.

Jesse Binga (1865 – 1950) was a prominent real estate businessman who founded the first privately owned African-American bank in Chicago in 1908 to serve black clients denied service at white-owned banks. Binga built a home in a white area and his house and offices were bombed numerous times. Animosity between whites and blacks led to a major Chicago race riot in 1919.

Binga's bank closed when the Great Depression hit. He refused to seize the property of the black churches and societies that could not meet their mortgage payments. He was accused and convicted of embezzlement and served time in prison. He received a full pardon in 1941. He died in poverty and is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery.

Author Don Hayner, a lifelong Chicagoan living in Beverly, retired as editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper in 2012. During his tenure, the paper won multiple national and local awards for investigative reporting and breaking news, including the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting in 2011. He has co-authored three books including "Streetwise Chicago, A History of Chicago Street Names."

“'Binga, The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker,' tells the story of the beginning of a sad saga that Chicagoans have lived through for more than a century. It's the story of racial change in the neighborhoods of a city, which is one of the most segregated in America, but at its core, it's a story of how Jesse Binga represented hope to a community shut out and isolated by racial animosity,” said Hayner in a description of this program.

The cost of the program is $10 per person and all proceeds will go to the Castle Restoration Fund. The Beverly Unitarian Church, owner of the Castle, has started an initiative to raise money for repairs to the Castle turrets. Donations to this fund will be used for preservation of the Castle, not for church operations. The BUC has already raised more than $400,000 in donations and pledges from its own members. A total of at least $800,000 is needed for the beginning work. RHS supports the preservation of this most iconic of all local landmarks.

As space is limited, reservations are suggested, and may be made by calling RHS at 773/881-1675 or emailing ridgehistory@hotmail.com. Tours of the Castle will be available following the program. Light refreshments will be served. The address of the Castle is 10244 S. Longwood Drive, Chicago.

Photo1: Jesse Binga, the first African-American banker in Chicago.

Photo 2: Don Hayner, presenter, author of upcoming book on Jesse Binga and retired editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Message from the Ridge Historical Society: A big reminder – this Sunday, April 7, is the program "Binga, The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker." The program will be at the Givins Castle, 10244 S. Longwood Drive, starting at 2:00 p.m. The presenter is Don Hayner, a lifelong Chicagoan living in Beverly, who retired as editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper in 2012. His book about Binga (same title as presentation) is due to be released in November.

Jesse Binga came to Chicago from Detroit just before the 1893 World's Fair. He was a savvy businessman, starting a real estate business to serve the growing African American community in the city. As black people were denied mortgages and other services at white-owned banks, Binga started the first African-American bank in the city.

African Americans, historically largely confined to the "Black Belt" on the near South Side, began expanding into new areas. This caused alarming tensions with the white community and led to violent race riots in 1919. Binga himself moved into a white neighborhood and his properties were bombed numerous times.

Today Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the country, with many areas of the South Side "hyper-segregated" – some neighborhoods as much as 99% black.

According to Hayner, while Jesse Binga was a towering symbol of success in Chicago’s “Black Belt” in the early 20th Century, he was also one of the most hated men in the city.

“Binga, The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker, tells the story of the beginning of a sad saga that Chicagoans have lived through for more than a century. It's the story of racial change in the neighborhoods of a city, which is one of the most segregated in America, but at its core, it's a story of how Jesse Binga represented hope to a community shut out and isolated by racial animosity,” said Hayner in a description of this program.

Don Hayner started out practicing law but switched his career to journalism. Working his way up from reporter, he retired as editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper in 2012. During his tenure, the paper won multiple national and local awards for investigative reporting and breaking news, including the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting in 2011. Hayner has co-authored three books including Streetwise Chicago, A History of Chicago Street Names.

Hayner completed a fellowship at the University of Maryland’s Knight Center for Specialized Journalism on race, class and ethnicity. As a reporter at the Sun-Times he co-authored, with Columnist Mary Mitchell, an award-winning series, “The Great Divide: Racial Attitudes in Chicago.” As part of that project, Hayner helped design the largest poll on race relations ever done in the Chicago region.

The cost of the program is $10 per person and all proceeds will go to the Castle Restoration Fund. The Beverly Unitarian Church, owner of the Castle, has started an initiative to raise money for repairs to the Castle turrets. Donations to this fund will be used for preservation of the Castle, not for church operations.

As space is limited, reservations are suggested, and may be made by calling RHS at 773/881-1675 or emailing ridgehistory@hotmail.com. Tours of the Castle will be available following the program. Light refreshments will be served.

Pic 1: Jesse Binga

Pic 2: Don Hayner

Join us tomorrow, Sunday, April 7, at the Givins Castle – 10244 S. Longwood Drive (corner of 103rd Street and Longwood Drive – you can't miss it, it's Chicago's only Castle) at 2:00 p.m. for Don Hayner's presentation on his book, Binga, The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s First Black Banker, scheduled for release in November 2019.

Hayner is retired editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper and a Beverly resident. The money raised for this presentation will go to the Castle restoration fund. The Castle, built in 1886-87, needs preservation work on the turrets. The money raised will not be used for church operations of the Castle's current owner, the Beverly Unitarian Church.

Jesse Binga was a black real estate tycoon who opened the first African American bank in Chicago to serve his clients not welcomed at white-owned banks.

This program offers the chance to see and support the Castle – tours will be available after the presentation; to meet Don Hayner; to learn more about a very important part of Chicago's history and the history of the South Side; and to learn more about the Ridge Historical Society,

The cost of the program is $10 per person and refreshments will be served. Reservations are not needed – just come!

Don Hayner, Beverly resident and retired editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times, giving his presentation at the Givins Castle today, April 7. Haynor spoke on the topic of his upcoming book, Jesse Binga, the first African American banker in Chicago. This is the type of program that helps put the history of race relations and Chicago's hyper-segregated South Side into perspective. Thank you, Mr. Hayner, for sharing your research with us. The program was put on by the Ridge Historical Society and the proceeds went to the Castle restoration fund.