Killer Mike, Greenwood, and the Bank Black Movement

As one part of the hip hop duo Run the Jewels, Killer Mike incorporates striking lyrics into his albums about police brutality and systemic racism, a popular choice for many artists trying to capture this era of turmoil we find ourselves in. What distinguishes Render from other artists is his side gig: The Bank Black movement.

“The best way to punish a wicked system within capitalism is to use capital, your dollar,” to show that “systemic racism is bad for money, it’s bad for business.” (2020 interview with Bloomberg News)

This chapter will talk about Killer Mike’s personal connection with racial justice, how he propelled the Bank Black movement, and how that movement led to the creation of Greenwood Bank, an Atlanta-based, Black- and Brown-owned financial technology institution that specifically targets Black and Latino people and businesses.