Dolly Parton: “Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”

It turns out that Dolly also renamed "The Dixie Stampede" to "Dolly Parton's Stampede."

It's a show that features dinner with a liver performance with human actors and horses.

According to Billboard:

Flexibility benefits Parton in other ways. In 2018 she renamed her Dixie Stampede dinner attraction Dolly Parton’s Stampede as she became more aware of how hurtful the term “Dixie” and its associations with the Confederacy could be — perhaps because of a 2017 Slate article that cast a critical eye on its rosy, family-friendly depictions of the Civil War. (At the time, the Dollywood Company said it was also eyeing an international expansion and noted that “Dixie” wouldn’t translate abroad.) “There’s such a thing as innocent ignorance, and so many of us are guilty of that,” she says now. “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 realize 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.”

The change came two years before the police killings of unarmed Black Americans like George Floyd sparked a reckoning with systemic racism in the United States — one that led country acts such as the Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum to change their names to similarly avoid glorifying dark chapters of history. Parton hasn’t attended any recent marches, but she is unequivocal in her support of protestors and the Black Lives Matter movement. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she says. “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”  

This is perhaps one secret to Parton’s widespread appeal: Just because she wants to be for everyone doesn’t mean she doesn’t stand for anything. Offending as few potential customers as possible is just good business. But when Parton explains the philosophies that drive her life and career, her answers are hardly corporate. “First of all, I’m not a judgmental person. I do believe we all have a right to be exactly who we are, and it is not my place to judge,” she says. “All these good Christian people that are supposed to be such good Christian people, the last thing we’re supposed to do is to judge one another. God is the judge, not us. I just try to be myself. I try to let everybody else be themselves.”

While many people supported Dolly's sentiment, others were upset with the lack of nuance.

Of course, all lives matter.

But people are upset with the narrative that cops and law enforcement are out to "hunt" black people.

Many people took to social media to express their frustration.

Though she is a country singer...

And though country fans are typically viewed as Republicans...

Dolly Parton supported Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Breitbart confirms that Parton issued a rare political statement in regards to BLM:

Dolly Parton has weighed in on the Black Lives Matter debate, offering a politic answer that seems designed to avoid controversy over the far-left, anti police group and keep her in good graces with the media and her fans.

In a lengthy Billboard profile, the country music legend voiced sympathy for black lives while stopping short of endorsing the movement itself. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she said. “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”

[...]

Parton also discussed her decision in 2018 to rename her “Dixie Stampede” dinner attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to “Dolly Parton’s Stampede” in order to avoid offending anyone.

“There’s such a thing as innocent ignorance, and so many of us are guilty of that,” she said. “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 realize that [something] is a problem, you should fix it.”

“Don’t be a dumbass,” she added. “That’s where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose.”

Dolly Parton spoke about the challenges her business faces in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We certainly are not going to have a great year this year,” she told Billboard. “Hopefully by coming back, we’ll pick up some stuff that we’ve lost. All of the things that I’m involved in are on hold, even my production companies and the movies — everything [took] a big hit. But I still believe, still trust God, and I’m still hoping for the best.”‘

The country star backed Hillary Clinton in 2016, telling the New York Times “Hillary might make as good a president as anybody ever has. I personally think a woman would do a great job. I think Hillary’s very qualified. So if she gets it, I’ll certainly be behind her.”

It has not been confirmed whether or not Dolly Parton will be voting for Joe Biden.

But if her past support for Clinton and her current views on BLM are any indication, it's looking like a possibility.