(AURN News) — Leon Stapleton, Kansas City’s first African American grocer, has died at 100, according to WDAF-TV.
Stapleton opened what became Leon’s Thriftway in 1968 after spending 21 years at Safeway, where he faced racism from his first day on the job.
According to his family and WDAF-TV, he was the first African American hired in the retail grocery industry.
Stapleton purchased a location on East 39th Street that many considered undesirable, a property that had been firebombed during unrest following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Still, Stapleton opened the store in May 1968 and operated it with his son for more than 50 years.
Leon’s Thriftway became a cornerstone of Kansas City’s east side, providing food, jobs and community support.
The store closed in 2019, but Stapleton’s family says his legacy lives on through his commitment to helping others and encouraging Black entrepreneurship throughout Kansas City today.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.
