James Abernathy and his wife, Yvonne Abernathy. Herald photo By Kennedy Askew The Cincinnati Herald James Abernathy is considered Cincinnati’s first African American banker, having worked at Fifth Third Bank from 1955 to 1980 and then at Hamilton State Bank. When Abernathy was in the 11th grade, a representative from Fifth Third Bank visited Woodward High School and “painted a flowery picture of banking,” as Abernathy […]