Petition demands Dolly Parton statues replace confederate memorials in Tennessee
Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY Published June 15, 2020
As confederate memorials are being taken down nationwide, one petition is calling for them to be replaced with those of "a true Tennessee hero": Dolly Parton.
The Change.org petition started by Alex Parsons on June 11 asks Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee State House to replace confederate monuments with statues of the country singer, who "has worked her entire life to bring us closer together."
"Aside from her beautiful music, which has touched the hearts and lives of millions of Americans, Dolly Parton's philanthropic heart has unquestionably changed the world for the better," Parsons wrote on Thursday.
Dolly Parton turns 74
More: MusiCares 2019 Person of the Year: Dolly Parton is first country singer honored after lifetime of music
"From the Dollywood foundation that has provided books and scholarships to millions of American children, to the millions of dollars she has donated to dozens of organizations such as the Red Cross and COVID-19 research centers, Dolly Parton has given more to this country and this state than those confederate officers could ever have hoped to take away."
This petition addresses the national debate regarding the removal of confederate memorials across the country following the death of George Floyd. Fellow singer Taylor Swift took to social media to criticize the existing confederate statues.
"As a Tennessean, it makes me sick that there are monuments standing in our state that celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things. Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest were despicable figures in in our state history and should be treated as such," the 30-year-old singer wrote on Friday.
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