ROAMER GIRLS

The Roamer Athletic Club women’s basketball team, known as the Roamer Girls, was formed in Chicago in 1921.

Location: Chicago, Illinois Manager: Grace Presbyterian Church Established: 1921

Originally affiliated with the city’s Grace Presbyterian Church’s Sunday School, the all-Black squad played home games at the Bronzeville’s famed Eighth Regiment Armory and featured stars such as 6-foot 7-inch center Helen Smith, Kate Bard, Lula Porter, and Isadore “Izzy” Channels.

This promotional feature in a California newspaper gave advance notice about the Roamer Girls and their star player, Kate Bard in 1937.

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