Dolly Parton’s 2003 death threats from the KKK: “I’m in business”
Dolly Parton and the systemic bigotry of the KKK: what do they have in common? Unsurprisingly, not a lot. But there is one thing.
It’s a situation you can only really liken to trying to create a seating plan for a wedding. It’s frankly a fine art, trying to strike the delicate balance of both bringing people together and keeping enemies apart. However, if Parton showed up with a white-hooded guest on her tail, they would absolutely have to be kept at totally opposite ends of the room.
Of course, this is making light of what is ultimately a deadly serious issue, with the fact that both Parton and the KKK hail from Tennessee, the true testament to the polarising melting pot that emerges out of America. If you thought it was bad back then, you don’t want to imagine what it’s like now. It’s sobering stuff.
And yet, even despite having this terrifying wrath of hatred so close to home, it has never strayed the country star from her vision of releasing music and saving the world while she does it. If anything, at certain times, the KKK have only spurred her on to be more proud in what she sets out to do. They tend to have that effect on people.
It’s no wonder, in this respect, that Parton was recently hailed as the most popular prominent figure in the US, above even politicians and dignitaries. It may be the antithesis of what the bigots wanted, but by the sheer fact that she never stops embracing others, spreading love, and being incessantly kind, the tables will always stay turned in her favour.
This all sounds great in terms of revolution and stick-it-to-the-man power, but the reality is that being so boldly joyful also comes with its drawbacks in this environment. And if nothing else was bound to get their attention for all the wrong reasons, the fact that Parton began hosting a Gay Day at her Dollywood theme park in 2003 had the KKK ready for a revolt.
“When it first started, there were people giving us threats, I still get threats,” Parton revealed in 2012. “But like I said, I’m in business. I just don’t feel like I have to explain myself. I love everybody.” She was, and still is, undeniably resolute in her vision. Even when that involved the KKK bringing their hatred right to the door of Dollywood on Gay Day in 2011, those things never changed.
There have been various petitions and protests over the years to have KKK memorials in Tennessee scrapped and replaced with an ode to Parton, in honour of everything she does, not just in terms of the Gay Day example, but in how she helps everyone, from any walk of life, without ever any hint of reservation.
You can be sure that her legacy is one that the people of Tennessee, and wider America as a whole, would want to remember over any type of division the KKK set out to achieve. Even in times like these, there has to be the belief that love will always win over hate – and with Parton at the helm, still storming her country rodeo, that might just happen.
