From the 1920s to 1950 Lawrence, Kansas, had an all-black high school basketball team called the Promoters.  This team won its league championship twice and tied for first place twice. "The Promoters" had its own pep club, the Red Peppers and three female cheerleaders.  When the high school basketball team was integrated in 1950, the Promoters disbanded. In the highly segregated society of the time it wasn't easy for the Promoters to even exist.  The high school would not allow the team to use its basketballs or to practice during the day.  The team had to ride the Lawrence Rapid Transit to play in Kansas City and because team members couldn't be served in restaurants they had to eat in the homes of opponent's parents.

That the team managed to exist for nearly thirty years shows the fortitude and creativity of its African American team members as well as the support by its black and white coaches. The team succeeded and excelled despite racial discrimination and segregation. The Promoter's history is an example of interracial goodwill and commitment to providing blacks opportunities to shine in the sports  world.

Promoters' Uniforms Said  "Oilers"

Promoters' team member William Moore: The reason you had Oilers was because we wanted some uniforms and Mr. Woody bought these and he give them to us and they started to calling us Oilers. We were still the Promoters, but we had Oilers on our uniforms.