US country music star Dolly Parton has come out in support of Black Lives Matter, in a rare comment on politics.
She told Billboard Magazine: "Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!"
With a broad fan base that spans the right and the left, the singer generally eschews political subjects.
Her comments come amid a nationwide reckoning on race that has impacted all of US society, including country music.
Although Ms Parton has not attended Black Lives Matter marches, she said she supported anti-racism activists' right to protest.
"I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen," she told the music magazine.
What did Dolly say about Dixie?
The entertainment mogul - who owns Dollywood amusement park in her home state of Tennessee as well as other attractions - also spoke about her decision in 2018 to drop the "Dixie" from her Dixie Stampede attraction.
A 2017 article in Slate critiqued Ms Parton's attraction, 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 US Civil War era.
"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 offensive word, I thought, 'Well, I don't want to offend anybody. This is a business. We'll just call it The Stampede.'
"As soon as you realise 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."
She told Billboard Magazine: "Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!"
With a broad fan base that spans the right and the left, the singer generally eschews political subjects.Her comments come amid a nationwide reckoning on race that has impacted all of US society, including country music.
Although Ms Parton has not attended Black Lives Matter marches, she said she supported anti-racism activists' right to protest.
"I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen," she told the music magazine.
What did Dolly say about Dixie?
The entertainment mogul - who owns Dollywood amusement park in her home state of Tennessee as well as other attractions - also spoke about her decision in 2018 to drop the "Dixie" from her Dixie Stampede attraction.
A 2017 article in Slate critiqued Ms Parton's attraction, 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 US Civil War era.
"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 offensive word, I thought, 'Well, I don't want to offend anybody. This is a business. We'll just call it The Stampede.'
"As soon as you realise 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."
by BBC | Read more:
Image: Getty
[ed. How refreshing to see someone say "I would never dream of hurting someone on purpose". How many people can honestly say that about themselves these days.]
