There is growing support among Tennesseans to build a statue of Dolly Parton on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol, but while we wait on that, we can at least enjoy the Queen of Tennessee in a different artistic form.
Hume-Fogg Magnet High School downtown shared some new artwork from local muralist Kim Radford, honoring Dolly's many contributions to reading and literacy here in the state.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library started in 1995 in Sevier County, but has since expanded to participating communities in five countries. In that time she has gifted 150 million books to nearly 2 million children as of December 2020. She also created the Dollywood Foundation's "Buddy Program" in 1988, which at the time gave $500 to every seventh and eighth grader who finished high school, in a an effort decrease the dropout rate in her hometown. She's also been a major donor to Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and the LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville.
It's about time Dolly starts getting the recognition she deserves!