Remembering Dolly Parton — by Robert Reich

Friends,

I’m very sad to report the death of one of the people I’ve idolized since I was old enough to idolize anyone: Dolly Parton.

To me, Dolly Parton represented the very best in America. Her kindness, compassion, laughter, love of life, hardscrabble beginnings, humanity, ambition, and extraordinary talent were what this country is — or should be.

She connected Americans to one another, even during these dark times of Trumpian divisiveness. She sang everything from country to mountain bluegrass to disco-era pop — and always with an ebullience that radiated hope and courage.

But I think what I admired most was her empathy (the sentiment disparaged by Elon Musk. In fact, to my mind she was the human that embodied the exact opposite of Musk.). She felt the pain of those in poverty. She felt for women subordinated to patriarchy (“Down From Dover” and “Daddy Come Get Me”). She felt for working women (“Nine to Five”).

She was also a great philanthropist. Her Imagination Library has distributed more than 200 million books to babies and young children.

I could go on, but you know it all. You’ve been touched by her as well as I have. I’m so very sorry that she’s gone from us.

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