Club Harlem (site)
Operated by African Americans and open to all, the club bucked the segregated policies of Reno's mainstream casinos.

By the 1940s, Reno's casino district was in full swing, but its gambling establishments and clubs were not equally open to everyone. The vast majority of Reno's casinos would not admit any patrons of color, even when African American entertainers were performing on their stages.
To meet the needs of those affected by these racially discriminatory policies, a handful of operators opened a few small clubs and casinos on Reno's east side. One of those operators was William "Bill" Bailey, a U.S. Army veteran who had first moved to Reno in the 1930s. In 1945, Bailey became part owner of the Peavine Club, which catered to African Americans, at 219 Peavine Street (now Evans Avenue). Bailey renamed the establishment Club Harlem (often referred to as the Harlem Club).
The club closed after just over a year when the building was condemned. In 1948, Bailey opened a new location of Club Harlem at 221 E. Douglas Alley, between Lake Street and Evans Avenue. The building's north side faced East Commercial Row, just southeast of the American Railway Express Office (see separate entry).
For nearly two decades, Club Harlem was one of the few integrated clubs in Reno. After their regular shows were over, many African American entertainers who performed in Reno's segregated clubs and casinos came to Club Harlem for spontaneous jam sessions. As Bill Bailey later recounted, it was common for Pearl Bailey (his cousin), Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr., and B.B. King to play there until the wee hours of the morning.
Bailey sold his interest in the club in 1958, when Norval Embry became its sole proprietor. With the passage of the federal Civil Rights Act in 1964, all of Reno's gaming establishments were finally legally obligated to open their doors to all people of color. In 1968, Club Harlem became known as the Soul Club, which operated until 1977.
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