Black Contractor Who Dismantled Confederate Monuments Launching Charity NFT

Devon Henry, the contractor who braved death threats while taking down dozens of Confederate monuments, is launching a charity NFT project today around 12:23 p.m. ET. 

The Thirteen Stars collection — part of the CryptoFederacy project — commemorates Henry, who is Black, and his team’s work taking down 72 statues in the South.

The 13 NFTs, which will be in a shape of a star, will come with the ownership of an authentic remnant from the original Confederate monument. The project is launching on Juneteenth — the anniversary of the day General Robert E. Lee surrendered and ended the Civil War.

"The task of dismantling these statues has literally been monumental," said Henry, in a press release. "It's very humbling to be the one who fulfills a 131-year prophecy. But that's not enough. I feel a responsibility to use these deconstructed pieces of our past to construct a better tomorrow." 

The “prophecy” refers to writings from John Mitchell, Jr., the editor of the Black newspaper, The Richmond Planet. When a monument to Lee went up in Richmond in 1890, Mitchell envisioned that one day, a Black man would take down the statue. 

"He put up the Lee monument, and should the time come, will be there to take it down," Mitchell wrote.

Proceeds from the sale of the NFT will go toward 13 nonprofit organizations committed to different social causes including food insecurity, gun violence prevention, voting rights, and HBCU scholarships.