New documentary captures life of slain KC civil rights leader, Leon Jordan
Leon Jordan is one of the civil rights leaders in Kansas City who unified the African American community to gain political strength..
A KANSAS CITY CIVILRIGHTS LEADER,ASSASSINATED 50 YEARSAGO THIS WEEK ISINFLUENCING TODAY'SPUSH FOR SOCIAL JUSTICEAND EQUALITY.AND A NEWDOCUMENTARYHIGHLIGHTS THE LIFE OFLEON JORDAN.41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORCYNTHIA NEWSOMETALKED WITH PEOPLEWHO KNEW JORDAN ANDWATCHED HIM GAINPOLITICAL CLOUT FORKANSAS CITY'S BLACKCOMMUNITY.RIGHT, PEOPLE WHOLIVED IN KANSAS CITYDURING SEGREGATION,RESIDENTS IN KANSASCITY..
CONSIDER , LEONJORDAN, THEIR CHAMPION.THEY KNOW THEIR LIVESARE BETTER BECAUSE OFHIS WORK AND SACRIFICE..BUT THOUSANDS OFYOUNG PEOPLE, AND UPAND COMING CIVIL RIGHTSADVOCATES ARE HEARINGJORDAN'S STORY FOR THEFIRST TIME IN A NEWDOCUMENTARY.IT'S A HISTORY LESSON--- IMPACTING KANSASCITY'S FUTURE ."Black lives matter chant"NEW VOICES ARE CRYINGOUT FOR JUSTICE INKANSAS CITY.JUSTICE TYRONE HORN ISONE OF THEM."Grew up in Independence,Blue Springs, Grain Valley allover.
Now I live in KansasCity."AND HE IS FRONT ANDCENTER IN THE BLACKLIVES MOVEMENT INKANSAS CITY-- DEMANDINGPOLICING POLICYCHANGES SO BLACK LIVESARE SPARED, ANDPLEADING FOR BLACKPEOPLE TO GET INVOLVEDIN THE POLITICALPROCESS.IF YOU REWIND KANSASCITY'S HISTORY TO THE1950'S AND 60'S LEONJORDAN WAS LEADING THEBATTLE CRY TO ENDSEGREGTION ANDESTABLISH FAIR HOUSINGLAWS.JORDAN WAS ONE OF THEFIRST AFRICAN AMERICANPOLICE OFFICERS INKANSAS CITY.
HE ROSE TOTHE RANK OF LIEUTENANT,HE STARTED THEPOLITICAL ORGANIZATIONFREEDOM INC... AND WASELECTED TO THE MISSOURIHOUSE OFREPRESENTATIES--SERVING THREE TERMS22 YEAR OLD JUSTICEHORN IS A SENIOR ATUMKC AND PAST UMKCSTUDET PRESIDENT.HE TOLD ME HE WASFAMILIAR WITH NAME---LEON JORDAN, BUTDIDN'T KNOW JORDAN'SSTORY.SO I ASKED HIM TO WATCHTHIS DOCUMENTARYPRODUCED AND DIRECTEDBY KANSAS CITY'S OWN,EMIEL CLEAVER.--CALLEDLEGACY OF LEADERSHIP.Cynthia:So what is your firstreaction?"Justice Horn:"My first reaction would justbe, I would say speechless Iwas speechless at the verybeginning just that, not onlythat one man brought up theAfrican American community;but that he was ultimatelygunned down and shotbecause of that."THE EAST PATROL KANSASCITY POLICE STATION, ISNAMED IN LEON JORDAN'SHONOR.
AND THERE'S ASTATUE OF HIM AT 31STAND BENTONMAYOR, QUINTON LUCAS,ONE OF KANSAS CITY'SYOUNGEST MAYORS -STUDIED BLACK HISTORYAND KNOWS ALL ABOUTLEON JORDAN'S FIGHTINGSPIRIT AND PATIENCE."I know when sometimeswhen I'm at City Hall todayand I think wow, things arechallenging; but you know Iwasn't living in a time whenwe were trying to give peoplethe opportunity to vote or wewere trying to get people tolive fairly and work fairly.""They didn't know successwas an option.
They couldn'tlook across the line or inanother city and say oh that'sthe model.
Instead they had tofight and I think we need tolearn that it's incrementalright; but one smallincremental step can changethe world."JUSTICE IS ON THE PATHTO A CAREER IN POLITICSAND PUBLIC SERVICE.
HESAID, NOW THAT HEKNOWS ABOUT LEONAND PUBLIC SERVICE.
HESAID, NOW THAT HEKNOWS ABOUT LEONJORDAN'S STRUGGLE ANDSACRIFICE --IT WILL BE ASOURCE OF PRIDE AS HEPURSUES HIS PURPOSJustice Horn, UMKC Senior"It showed me that thismovement not onlysupersedes any oneorganization; but it alsoindividual.
It's just a group ofpeople getting the togetherand helping them to changetheir own community."DRAWING STRENGTH FORTODAY'S BATTLE FROMTHE LEGACY OFCOURAGEOUS LEADERS INTHE PAST.41 ACTION NEWS IS AIRINGTHE DOCUMENTARY,LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP,THE LEON JORDAN STORY.YOU CAN WATCH IT FORFREE ... TONIGHT ON OURKSHB FACEBOOK PAGE.I'LL BE HOSTING THELIVE PREMIERE WITHSPECIAL GUESTS --GIVINGUS PERSPECTIVE ON THECIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTIN KANSAS CITY 50 YEARSAGO ...AND THEMOVEMENT HAPPENINGNOW.SO JOIN US ON OUR KSHBFACEBOOK PAGE TONIGHTAT
Leon Jordan is one of the civil rights leaders in Kansas City who unified the African American community to gain political strength..