Spirit of Freedom Fountain

Dedicated in 1981, the Spirit of Freedom Fountain was conceptualized by Kansas City Councilman Bruce R. Watkins. It honors the contributions of and impact by the civil rights organization Freedom, Incorporated which was co-founded by Watkins in 1962 and continues to foster economic development and impact public policy for the African American community. Designed by Chicago artist and civil rights activist Richard Hunt, the 5,000 pound, abstract bronze sculpture symbolizes the ideal of freedom and acts as a reminder of the advocacy and influence of Watkins and Freedom, Incorporated. The sculpture rests on a pyramid-like base where water flows down into an elliptical shaped basin.

Located along Brush Creek across from the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center, the Spirit of Freedom Fountain was created to symbolize racial unity and honor the contributions of African Americans in Kansas City. Bruce R. Watkins (1924-1980) was a civil rights activist and Kansas City’s first African American to serve on the City Council, to run for Mayor, and to serve as a Jackson County Circuit Court Clerk. Early in his political career, Watkins also became chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Committee. One of his earliest accomplishment was as councilman when he introduced the Public Accommodations Ordinance No. 29153, which prohibited discrimination in public establishments; it passed in September 1963. 

Following in the footsteps of his adoptive step-father Theron B. Watkins, Bruce actively and successfully fought for civil rights and social justice. In April 1962, he partnered with Kansas City Police Department officer and good friend Leon Jordan to found Freedom, Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that fosters economic development for Black communities and empowers African Americans to vote and impact public policy decisions. To honor the work and impact of Freedom, Incorporated, Watkins and Jordan organized the installation of a monument in 1977. They hired Chicago artist and civil rights hero Richard Hunt, who created this 5,000 pound, freeform bronze sculpture and fountain, called the Spirit of Freedom Fountain. 

The Spirit of Freedom Fountain was dedicated on September 13, 1981, exactly one year after Councilman Watkins' death. The abstract bronze sculpture rests on top of a pyramid-like concrete base in which water cascades down into an elliptical shaped basin containing six clusters of water jets. Artist Richard Hunt noted the sculpture’s design reflects the symbolic nature of freedom as well as kept with an improvisational representation of Kansas City’s jazz. 

In 1989, a cultural center was built to honor the legacy of Bruce R. Watkins. The mission of Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center is “to commemorate and interpret the African-American diaspora through fostering educational and cultural programs regarding the past, present and contemporary contributions of African Americans who served to shape the city and state’s history and culture.” Located across Brush Creek from the Spirit of Freedom Fountain, the Cultural Center offers a replicated display of Councilman Watkins’ desk, a gallery with a pictorial history of Freedom, Incorporated, rotating artistic and educational exhibits, an auditorium for public programs, and the Gertrude Keith Resource Library. 

Spirit of Freedom Fountain, City of Fountains Foundation. Accessed June 28th 2022. https://cityoffountains.org/spirit-of-freedom-fountain/.

About Freedom, Freedom, Incorporated. Accessed June 28th 2022. https://www.freedomincorporated.org/about-freedom/.

Riley, Kimberly. Theron B. and Bruce Watkins, Pendergast KC. Accessed June 28th 2022. https://pendergastkc.org/article/biography/theron-b-and-bruce-watkins.

Partain, Dorri. Remember This? Bruce R. Watkins, Northeast News. February 16th 2022. Accessed June 28th 2022. http://northeastnews.net/pages/remember-this-14/.