Like many others, I have spent the past week mourning the loss of Dolly Parton. While Parton was most famous for her sparkly country music career, she was so much more than that. Her performance of sickly sweet southern femininity was as much a part of her celebrity as the music itself. Everything about her persona was perfectly constructed to play into gender roles. Within this immaculate performance, Parton found the space to leverage the caring stereotype of a southern woman and use it to take action.
Under pounds of glitter, tassels and makeup, Parton was a Tennessean and activist. In 2016, when devastating wildfires swept through east Tennessee, Parton donated $1,000 monthly to affected families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Parton donated $1 million for vaccine research efforts at Vanderbilt University. In 2022, Parton donated another $1 million to Vanderbilt University to support pediatric infectious disease research.
Of all her philanthropic efforts, Parton was most dedicated to supporting education. In 1989, Parton granted a $500 scholarship to every graduating high school senior from her home county, Sevier County, Tennessee who wished to attend Hiwassee College. From the year 2000, Parton has given a $15,000 scholarship to seniors graduating from each of the Sevier County high schools each year. Parton never forgot where she came from.
Parton’s crown jewel is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Imagination Library began in 1995, sending a book to children in Sevier County every month. By 2025, the program had sent more than 300 million books to children internationally. Parton recognized a need in her community, and she sought to fill it. The impact of The Imagination Library is felt all over the world, including right here in Ohio. “The Imagination Library is an incredible program that not only encourages families to read with their children, but also to connect them to a bunch of other affordable activities. One of those was my study that encouraged the use of music for emotional registration and maintenance for kids. This was free for all participants and provided a book and digital handbook at the end,” said third-year Ava Lipinski. Parton’s mission to uplift the youth of her home county has grown immensely over the years. What started with gifting books to children and families became a coordinated effort to bring a love of reading to the world.
In remembering Parton, it is important to hold on to that love of reading. The name Dolly Parton will always be synonymous with “9 to 5” and “Jolene,” but that is not all she was. Listen to her music, love her legacy and most importantly, educate yourself. As university students, we have a point of privilege. We are an educated group. We research, study for courses, commit ourselves to career-building extracurriculars and try to truly learn. Do not let your education end there. If you want to adhere most closely to Parton’s original mission, I encourage you to stay in school and keep reading.
Read truly anything. If you’re tired from a long week of classes and need an easy read, turn to a cheesy romantic comedy or sweet coming-of-age novel. When you need a break from your coursework but still want to scratch that itch to learn something new, pick up a science fiction book or delve into a new niche with nonfiction. When all else fails and you want to read something of human interest, read a memoir, maybe even “Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.” It does not matter what you read; an 800 page tome or a short and sweet 150 page novella can hold the same weight. If you love visuals and want an extra push to fall into a story, pick up that graphic novel. Even if you only have time for a walk with an audiobook, you can still give it the same amount of attention as a physical book and glean just as much. Engage with a new world, think critically about the stories you consume and have fun. That is real reading, and that is all I ask. Above all else, read for yourself.
I have heard it said that Parton was the best of America. She had grit, cared for her neighbors and worked to make the world a better place. In an age of billionaire celebrity musicians, Parton put her money where her mouth was and made a difference. Her family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Imagination Library. I ask that you continue her efforts to support literacy in any way you can, even if that starts and ends with you challenging yourself with a book.