In her statement turning down another accolade offered to her, Dolly Parton asked lawmakers not to consider a bill that would allow a statue of her to be erected on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. This announcement came just weeks after we learned that she turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom – twice.
”I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds,” Parton’s statement, shared on her social media pages, reads. ”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’s statement 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 Tennessean.”
The bill was introduced by an online petition to urge the Tennessee State House to replace Confederate statues in the state with statues of Parton. In addition to her beautiful music, Ms. Parton has a huge philanthropic heart. In 1988 she created The Dollywood Foundation, which focuses on literacy and education in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. It was revealed this past November that the music icon and philanthropist made a $1 million contribution toward coronavirus research efforts at Vanderbilt University last April.
While Parton has done a lot for her home state as well as the world, she has remained humble and has turned down accolades for her work.
Parton concluded her statement about the Tennessee statue bill by saying she will “continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”
Please check out 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. for the full article.
