Leon Stapleton spent more than five decades building a grocery business in Kansas City’s urban core, but for some of the city’s current leaders, his impact began long before they held public office. He was the man behind a neighborhood store they visited as children, heard their families talk about and later came to understand as an example of Black ownership.
Stapleton died Sept. 14 at age 100. He purchased United Super Market at 39th Street and Kensington Avenue in May 1968 after spending 21 years working his way through the ranks at Safeway. The business later operated under several names, including Leon’s Thriftway, and became a longtime source of groceries, jobs and community support on Kansas City’s East Side.
Prosecutor Melesa Johnson’s memories
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson encountered Leon’s through family. Growing up on Kansas City’s East Side, Johnson accompanied her grandmother on grocery-shopping trips that could include several stores. As she grew older, she came to understand why a Black-owned grocery store carrying foods familiar to Black households held particular meaning for families like hers.
“I just have the fondest memories of Leon’s grocery store and being a little kid following my grandmother around or even riding on the cart as most kids do,” Johnson said…