Yes. The Banker is based on the real-life experiences of Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, two black men who attempted to become bankers and landowners in the 1950s and 1960s, a time when prejudice made such endeavours for African American residents all but impossible.
In “The Banker,” the struggle for civil rights is fought over property rights and homeownership, with money which is largely controlled by white people serving as the major weapon.
Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie), driven to overcome the housing market, redlining laws, and prejudice, builds on his early market interests to launch his own company in Los Angeles with his wife, Eunice (Nia Long), and their son.
Garrett and Morris team up to desegregate the bright city thanks to one of Eunice’s old friends, raucous club owner Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), but as Black men dealing with racism, there’s only so much they can accomplish.
They employ Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), a white working-class man, and train him to serve as a de facto Trojan Horse to gain access to areas they are unable to otherwise visit.
To end discrimination in housing and banks, the organization launches a daring, covert plan.
