16January 2021
In June 2020, a petition called for Tennessee’s racist monuments to be replaced with a statue of Dolly Parton, “a true Tennessee hero”. Now, a Tennessee lawmaker has backed a dedication for the country music legend, proposing a statue in the grounds of her home state’s Capitol.
The bill introduced by Democratic Rep. John Mark Windle on Tuesday (January 13) aims to honour Parton for “all that she has contributed to this state”. The Nashville statue, it adds, would be financed with gifts, grants, and other donations, handled by a dedicated Dolly Parton Fund.
Besides her prolific musical output, Parton has long been recognised for her philanthropy. Her Imagination Library program sends books across the world to help improve children’s literacy, while her $1 million donation to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center helped fund a COVID-19 vaccine.