In March 1955, Powell encouraged a boycott of Harlem savings banks that he labeled as engaging in discriminatory practices akin to 'Jim Crow-ism' and 'economic lynching.' He called upon the members of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, which had a large membership of around fifteen thousand, to take action by withdrawing their money from white-owned financial institutions.
Powell recommended that the church members redirect their funds to support black-owned banks, specifically highlighting Carver Federal Savings in Harlem and Tri-State Bank in Memphis, Tennessee. This initiative aimed to empower the black community economically by fostering financial independence and reinforcing local institutions.