As if Dolly Parton hadn't charmed us enough today with news of her forthcoming Christmas album, the country music legend has now announced her "unequivocal" support for the Black Live Matter movement and its protestors.
In a new interview with Billboard, the artist shared her thoughts on the ongoing political insurgence south of the border, where debates about the validity of anti-police brutality protests rage on.
"I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen. And of course black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!" Parton told Billboard. "There's such a thing as innocent ignorance, and so many of us are guilty of that."
In 2018, Parton had to face her own ignorance when she was approached to change the name of her Dixie Stampede due to its racist connotations. The event has since been renamed Dolly Parton's Stampede.
"When they said 'Dixie' was an offensive word, I thought, 'Well, I don't want to offend anybody. This is a business. We'll just call it the Stampede,'" she said. "As soon as you realize that [something] is a problem, you should fix it. Don't be a dumbass. That's where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose."
Her latest statements follow a petition to erect statues of Dolly in place of Confederate monuments in Tennessee. Since a Change.org campaign was launched in her name earlier this summer, the petition has gained over 20,000 signatures.
Back in May, Parton shared an uplifting new song called "When Life Is Good Again." Her latest full-length record was 2017's I Believe in You.
In a new interview with Billboard, the artist shared her thoughts on the ongoing political insurgence south of the border, where debates about the validity of anti-police brutality protests rage on.
"I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen. And of course black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!" Parton told Billboard. "There's such a thing as innocent ignorance, and so many of us are guilty of that."
In 2018, Parton had to face her own ignorance when she was approached to change the name of her Dixie Stampede due to its racist connotations. The event has since been renamed Dolly Parton's Stampede.
"When they said 'Dixie' was an offensive word, I thought, 'Well, I don't want to offend anybody. This is a business. We'll just call it the Stampede,'" she said. "As soon as you realize that [something] is a problem, you should fix it. Don't be a dumbass. That's where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose."
Her latest statements follow a petition to erect statues of Dolly in place of Confederate monuments in Tennessee. Since a Change.org campaign was launched in her name earlier this summer, the petition has gained over 20,000 signatures.
Back in May, Parton shared an uplifting new song called "When Life Is Good Again." Her latest full-length record was 2017's I Believe in You.
