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American country music star Dolly Parton has come out in support of Black Lives Matter, in a rare remark about politics.
She told Billboard Magazine: “Do we think our little white asses are the only ones who matter? No!”
With a broad fan base spanning right and left, the singer escapes into general political issues.
Her remarks come at noon from a nationwide bill on race that is affecting all of American society, including country music.
Although Ms Parton did not attend the marches of Black Lives Matter, she said she supported the right of anti-racism activists to protest.
“I understand people need to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she told the music magazine.
What did Dolly say about Dixie?
The amusement mogul – who owns Dollywood Amusement Park in her home state of Tennessee like other attractions – also spoke about her decision in 2018 to drop the “Dixie” from her Dixie Stampede attraction.
An article in 2017 in Slate criticized the attraction of Ms Parton, calling it a “lily-white kitsch extravaganza”.
“Dixie” was often used as a nickname for the southern states that made up the Confederate states of America during the American Civil War.
- American country band Dixie Chicks throws the Dixie off her name
“There’s such a thing as innocent ignorance, and so many of us are guilty of that,” she told Billboard. “When they said ‘Dixie’ was an insulting word, I thought, ‘Well, I do not want to offend anyone. This is a business. We’ll just call it the Stampede.’
“Once you realize that [something] is a problem, you need to fix it. Do not be dumb. That’s where my heart is. I would never dream of someone with the intention of hurting. ”
Why is she speaking out now?
The death of George Floyd, and the subsequent nationwide protests, have affected industry from publishing to sports to country music, and have inspired some artists to take part in marches, while forcing others to invent their own racially blind spots.
Two other country acts, the Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum, have linked their names to the Confederacy, making them The Chicks and Lady A, respectively.
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President Donald Trump has taken the opposite approach, describing Protestants as “anarchists” and condemning those who kneel before the national anthem.
Mrs Parton’s remarks come as the 2020 presidential election campaign heats up, a stark contrast to four years ago when she deliberately avoided criticizing Mr Trump when he ran against Hillary Clinton.
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In 2017, she remained silent on stage at the Emmys alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, when her former 9-to-5 costers decided to use the footlights to beat the president.
More recently, in the popular WNYC podcast Dolly Parton’s America, Ms. Parton said, “If you hate the president so much, why don’t we pray for him?”
Feminist and LGBTQ Icon
This is not the first time the 74-year-old, who is seen as both an LGBT and feminist icon, has supported progressive causes.
She came out in favor of gay marriage in 2014, a year before it was legalized nationally, spoke out against anti-transgender “bathroom bills,” and supported the Me Too movement.
But their support for issues with left-wingers is usually carefully crafted to be as unobtrusive as possible, and often asks people to “judge, that you are not judged”.
“The sin of judgment is just as bad as any other sin they could say someone else is committing. I try to love everyone,” she told Billboard in 2014.
