Petition calls for replacement of Confederate monuments with Dolly Parton statues

ATLANTA — An online petition is calling for a unique solution for dealing with statues of Confederate generals and soldiers throughout the state of Tennessee: Replace them with statues of Dolly Parton.

“History should not be forgotten, but we need not glamorize those who do not deserve our praise. Instead, let us honor a true Tennessee hero, Dolly Parton,” the Change.org petition states.

The New York Times said there have been efforts to replace symbols of the Confederacy with Parton before.

“In December, a Republican legislator proposed building a statue of Ms. Parton in place of a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former Confederate general, slave trader and leader of the Ku Klux Klan, that looms prominently in the Tennessee Statehouse. The statue remains,” the Times article said.

“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. 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,” the petition said.

Parton has not made any public statements about the removal of statues, the Times said.

CLICK HERE to read more about the petition.

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