An old, white-haired Black man heard his testimony and quoted this Scripture verse to him: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).
[3] This verse made a great impression on Banks, and he determined to devote his life to educating African Americans with knowledge of the Bible and Christian teaching.
[4] While working at the predominantly white evangelical Christian publishing company Scripture Press,[5] Banks realized the need for resources that would appeal to African Americans.
[3] In the spring of 1996, UMI completed construction and took occupancy of a new headquarters facility located in Calumet City, Illinois, in South Suburban Chicago.
In 2017 the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) presented Dr. Banks with the Kenneth N. Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 50 years of excellence, innovation, integrity, and commitment to making the message of Christ more widely known.