Dolly Parton Asks Tennessee Legislature Not To Build A Statue Of Her

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Dolly Parton Asks Tennessee Legislature Not To Build A Statue Of Her

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

As Confederate statues in the South continue to come tumbling down, we’re going to need something to replace them. Something like, say, Dolly Parton.

Over 25,000 people signed a recent Change.org petition suggesting that all Confederate statues in the state of Tennessee be replaced with statues of Dolly Parton. Tennessee House Democrat John Windle introduced a bill to erect a Parton statue on State Capitol grounds, facing the Ryman Auditorium, last month. But now Dolly herself has spoken out, asking Tennessee lawmakers not to move forward with the proposal.

“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds,” Parton wrote in a statement on Twitter. “I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration.”

“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” Parton continued. “I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennesseean. In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”

Some would argue that Parton asking the Tennessee legislature not to build a statue of her is, in fact, exactly why she deserves a statue. Relatedly, the country music icon also turned down the Presidential Medal Of Freedom from Donald Trump twice, although she says that that wasn’t for political reasons.

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