I don't know that Dolly Parton was ever a Rotarian, but I believe Rotarians could be proud to have claimed her.
In so many ways, she lived up to the Four-Way Test. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Dolly Parton stayed rooted in her identity regardless of how her fortunes changed or what anybody thought. From the economic hardships of her youth, she made a point to share her wealth. She used her proceeds to ensure that every child could grow up in a house with books by starting the Imagination Library. During the Flint Water Crisis, every child in Flint under the age of 5 could have a book mailed to their home each month. During COVID, Dolly used her wealth to expedite the development of vaccines that saved countless lives. And, she used the royalties from Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You" to invest in Black-owned businesses that got short shrift elsewhere.
It could be tempting to dismiss her as un-serious with her over-the-top hair and makeup. At at time when women struggled to be seen as belonging in the workplace, she had a keen business sense and was clearly her own boss. Her music and films championed women in the workplace, with hits like "9 to 5."
Dolly Parton's unabashed sense of self, expressed through a sense of style that others might ridicule, inspired people to be themselves. While not limited to people in the LGBTQ+ community, she became an icon of sorts within it. Herself a devoted Christian who had a chapel in her studio, she rejected judging others for who they were and embraced marriage equality, drag culture, and transgender rights. She summed up her philosophy in a 2014 Billboard Inverview: "I try to love everybody."
Here's to Dolly Parton, a person who used her life for good.
