Leon Jordan's Green Duck Club (1955-2015)

Situated on the corner of 26th and Prospect, this historic building was one of the centers of social life in Kansas City's Black communities and a gathering place that hosted meetings and political events. Founded in the late 1950s, the Green Duck Club was operated by Leon Mercer Jordan, an activist and one of the men behind the highly influential Black political organization known as Freedom, Inc. The Green Duck Club served as a meeting place for organizers during this time, and it was a staple of social life for many people living in the area. Following the tragic murder of Leon Jordan while he was closing the club on the morning of July 15, 1970, the club closed. The organization remained a social and political center under Jimmy Townsend until he was murdered at his nearby home in December of 2015. Though the club has remained closed since Townsend's death, the impact that the Green Duck Club has had on Kansas City politics, social life, and Black culture remains historically significant.

Leon Mercer Jordan was born in 1905 in Kansas City, MO. After attending Lincoln High School and graduating from Wilberforce University, Jordan was a schoolteacher for several years before leaving that job to join the Kansas City Police Department in 1938, where he rose to the rank of detective. From 1947 to 1952, Jordan took a leave of absence from the KCPD to travel to Liberia, where he helped the country establish its police force, and was awarded the Chevalier of the Order of the African Star by Liberian President William Tubman. Jordan continued to build his career after his return to the United States in 1952. After returning to Kansas City, Jordan became the first Black man to attain the rank of lieutenant in the Kansas City Police Department.

According to an article from Vox Magazine, the Green Duck was originally owned by Tim Moran, a prominent white political leader. Leon Jordan purchased the club from him in 1955. In 1962, Jordan and activist Bruce Watkins founded Freedom Inc, an independent political organization focused on advancing Black interests in the Kansas City area. Through the tireless work of these two men, Freedom Inc. grew into one of the most dominant political forces in the area, running voter registration drives, sponsoring candidates, and advancing Black access to equal accommodations throughout the Metro. According to an article from Kansas City's African-American Heritage Trail, Jordan and Freedom, Inc. organized "one of the most significant voter registration drives ever seen in Kansas City." Jordan advanced his own career as well, being elected to the Missouri House of Representatives.

Unfortunately, this good fortune was not to last. While closing down the club on the early morning of July 15, 1970, Leon Jordan was fatally shot by three men driving past with a shotgun. Unfortunately, mishandling of the case by police left the case unsolved for many years, though three men affiliated with a group known as the "Black Mafia" were thought to be connected. In 2010 and 2011, additional investigation by Kansas City Star reporters uncovered evidence that the killing was approved by white Kansas City Mafia figure Nicholas Civella, who supposedly approved the murder as an act of political retribution. Unfortunately, all of the involved parties had passed away by this time, so no suspects could be charged. As for the Green Duck itself, it was eventually re-opened, and passed into the stewardship of a man named Jimmy Townsend. Under Townsend, the Green Duck continued to serve as a gathering place for the Black community in Kansas City. However, in a morbid twist of fate, Jimmy Townsend was fatally shot at his home near the club in December of 2015. Since his death, the Green Duck has remained closed, falling into a state of disrepair. Despite this loss, however, the legacy of Jordan and the Green Duck Club continues to remain strong. To this day, Freedom Inc. is one of the most powerful political activism groups in the Metro, sponsoring candidates and facilitating voting and other political activities to benefit the interests of Kansas Citians.

Carlson, Kasey. “'The Green Duck Lounge' Brings Black History to Life.” Vox Magazine, February 22, 2018. https://www.voxmagazine.com/magazine/the-green-duck-lounge-brings-Black-history-to-life/article_174e0aa0-136b-11e8-a946-77cc332b154c.html. 

Moxley, Elle. “Green Duck Owner Jimmy Townsend Murdered.” KCUR 89.3 - NPR in Kansas City. KCUR, December 21, 2015. https://www.kcur.org/community/2015-12-21/green-duck-owner-jimmy-townsend-murdered. 

Unknown. “Green Duck Tavern.” African American Heritage Trail of Kansas City. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://aahtkc.org/greenducktavern.