Page 4 - aruba-today-20201026

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 26 october 2020
Black contractor braves threats in removing Richmond statues

By SARAH RANKIN Associ- November election, raised
ated Press concerns about the deal.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Some of the mayor's critics
Devon Henry paced in ner- have questioned whether
vous anticipation, because the price tag for the proj-
this was a project like noth- ect, which included the re-
ing he'd ever done. He moval of both large figures
wore the usual hard hat — and smaller plaques, was
and a bulletproof vest. reasonable. The statues are
An accomplished Black gone, but their enormous
businessman, Henry took pedestals remain in place.
on a job the city says oth- Some U.S. cities have paid
ers were unwilling to do: more, like New Orleans,
lead contractor for the where it cost more than
now-completed removal $2.1 million to remove four
of 14 pieces of Confeder- monuments. Others, like
ate statuary that dotted Baltimore, have paid far
Virginia's capital city. There less. That city paid under
was angry opposition, and $20,000 for four statues, ac-
fear for the safety of all in- cording to the Richmond
volved. Times-Dispatch.
But when a crane finally Andrew Baxter, a nation-
plucked the equestrian ally known conservator of
statue of Gen. Stonewall This Tuesday July 7, 2020, file photo shows crews at they lower the statue Confederate General outdoor sculpture who has
Jackson off the enormous J.E.B. Stuart in preparation for transport after removing it from it's pedestal on Monument Avenue worked on projects at the
in Richmond, Va.
pedestal where it had Associated Press. White House and the Na-
towered over this former tional Gallery of Art and
capital of the Confeder- The tide turned after the handled projects ranging sought to conceal his has conducted extensive
acy for more than a cen- death of George Floyd in from invasive species re- company's identity, creat- restoration work in the past
tury, church bells chimed, police custody, which ig- moval to crane services for ing a shell entity, NAH LLC, on several of Richmond's
thunder clapped and the nited a wave of Confeder- the U.S. Army to general through which the $1.8 mil- largest Confederate monu-
crowd erupted in cheers. ate monument removals. construction. Team Henry lion contract was funneled. ments, was critical of the
Henry's brother grabbed Richmond Mayor Levar was the general contractor Stoney's administration ini- mayor's handling of the sit-
him, and they jumped up Stoney and the city coun- on the recently complet- tially declined to say who uation. Stoney acted with-
and down. He saw others cil committed to remov- ed Memorial to Enslaved was behind the compa- out the city council's formal
crying in the pouring rain. ing the statues, something Laborers at the University ny, but the arrangement sign-off and before com-
"You did it, man," said Rod- the Democrat-led General of Virginia. He serves on eventually came to light pleting procedural steps in

ney Henry. Success came Assembly had authorized several boards, includ- through public records re- the new law.
at some cost. Devon Henry earlier in the year. ing those of a bank and a quests and reporting by Still, Baxter said the amount
faced death threats, ques- Stoney, who is Black and health system foundation, local news outlets. One the city paid seemed rea-
tions about the prices he has also faced backlash and is a member of the blog ran a story headlined, sonable. "It's not a situation
charged, allegations of to his role in the monument Board of Visitors at his alma "The Gory Details of Levar where you're just putting in
cronyism over past politi- removals, including rac- mater, Norfolk State Univer- Stoney's Statue Contract." a crane on the street and
cal donations to the city's ist and threatening voice- sity, where he endowed a It was also reported that you're putting an air condi-
mayor and an inquiry by a mails, said in a debate in scholarship. Henry had donated a total tioner on top of a unit," he
special prosecutor. But he early October that "what Henry said the city's Depart- of $4,000 to Stoney and his said.
has no regrets. we did was legal, it was ap- ment of Public Works asked political action committee. There was trouble finding
"I feel a great deal of con- propriate, and it was right." him in mid-June if he would Since his name and com- subcontractors. Even a
viction in what we did and Henry "put his life on the be interested in the statue pany became public, company he worked with
how it was done," Henry, line, put his family's lives project. A contractor who Henry said he's received on the UVA memorial gave
43, told The Associated on the line, he put his busi- turned the city down gave death threats. He's added him a resounding "hell no"
Press in the only interview ness on the line. And we re- them his name, he said. extra cameras to both his when asked to participate,
he has given. moved those monuments," Henry huddled with his home and office security Henry said. A representa-
As recently as a few years the mayor said. family to make sure ev- systems, he's gotten a con- tive of another company
ago, the removal of Rich- The man who oversaw the eryone was on board. His cealed carry permit, taken suggested he should go
mond's collection of Con- statue removals is a Virginia son and daughter "started defensive shooting classes take down a statue of Mar-
federate monuments native with an easy laugh Googling" and "there was and now carries a weapon tin Luther King Jr. Truckers
seemed nearly impossible, and warm smile, the son of most definitely a level of wherever he goes. involved didn't want their
even as other tributes to a single mother who had concern" when they read He said he's also faced vehicle logos showing.
rebel leaders around the him at 16 and worked her about what happened in business repercussions. Workers ended up traveling
U.S. started falling. way up from a crew mem- Charlottesville (where plans Some subcontractors have in from Wisconsin and Con-
It was a particularly ber at McDonald's to the to remove a Robert E. Lee declined to work with him, necticut.
charged issue in a historic operator of five stores. He, statue sparked a deadly he said, or doubled their Henry negotiated the secu-
city with a central role in his college sweetheart and white supremacist rally in prices. rity plans, eventually work-
the Civil War. And the stat- their two kids live in subur- 2017) and New Orleans An ongoing inquiry by a ing with the city sheriff's de-

ues, especially along his- ban Richmond. (where a contractor's car special prosecutor into the partment because he said
toric Monument Avenue, Records show his Newport was firebombed). contract was initiated af- the police department was
were breathtaking in size News-based Team Henry Ultimately, they all agreed ter Kim Gray, a city coun- not willing to participate. (A
and valued for their artis- Enterprises has won more to take the job. This was an cilwoman who formerly police department spokes-
tic quality, drawing visitors than $100 million in federal opportunity to be a part of opposed removing the man declined to com-
like Winston Churchill and contracts in the past de- history. monuments and is one of ment.) He also hired private
Dwight Eisenhower. cade. The company has For safety, he said, he Stoney's opponents in the security.q