A Black developer has crafted a project intended for the culture!

Keenan Kelley is the founder of For The Culture, created to encourage the Black community to take root in the ever-growing world of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and take back ownership of their traditions.

Kelley was compelled to release the collection after recognizing there were very few Black pioneers in the Web3 space.

“When I came into the space last year, I did not see a lot of representation from us. Not only do we not have as many artists and developers building out these projects, [but I also] noticed that there was a lot of cultural appropriation and undertones of racism in some of these projects that were coming out because there was a lack of Black representation,” Kelley told AfroTech.

Kelley is now creating a pathway to diversify the NFT space and the founder encourages more Black creators to control their narratives on the blockchain. For The Culture honors Kelley’s stance through its 2,021 unique profile pictures all influenced by the Black anime art style. The collection features nine different shades of melanin to ensure collectors can find a metaverse avatar that best suits them.

For The Culture is available to mint on the company’s website and begins at a price point of 67 MATIC (Polygon). Kelley also encourages allies to purchase a “Supporter of the Culture NFT” for the same price.

Collection Seeks To Inspire Black Community To Profit In Crypto Arena

Kelley hopes the collection will serve as a blueprint for how the Black community can monetize their work in the crypto space. Already 23 percent of African Americans own cryptocurrency compared to only 11 percent of white Americans, according to a Harris poll, Yahoo News reported back in 2021.

“The project encourages Black creators and, specifically, Black businesses to enter this space. This is an opportunity that doesn’t necessarily require a college degree,” Kelley said.

He continued: “For small businesses, it’s important to kind of keep your eye on these emerging technologies, like the metaverse and NFTs because soon another social technology will come around. If you get into it early, find your niche and your place, it will be an easier transition for you in the future.”