Flags are lowered in Davidson County remembering Dolly Parton
Flags in Thomasville are being lowered to half-staff as the nation mourns the death of legendary singer, songwriter and philanthropist Dolly Parton.
President Donald Trump ordered American flags lowered nationwide for one week beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, in Parton's honor. Parton died Tuesday at age 80. Flags are to remain at half-staff until sunset Sept. 1.
“Dolly’s incredible music, generosity and commitment to helping others touched millions of lives. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come,” the city of Thomasville shared in its announcement. “Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank you for the music, the memories and the magic.”
While Parton was known around the world for songs including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” her legacy also has a direct connection to children and families in North Carolina through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Her reach extended to children right here in Davidson County, where local families have benefited from the program and its mission to put books directly into the hands of young readers.
The program provides free, age-appropriate books to children from birth through age 5. Smart Start and the North Carolina Partnership for Children have partnered with the Imagination Library since 2017. More than 21 million books have been distributed to young children in North Carolina through the partnership.
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in her home county in East Tennessee. She said she was inspired in part by her father’s inability to read and write, Parton wanted preschool children to have books of their own and opportunities to develop an early love of reading. The program eventually expanded far beyond Tennessee and became one of the most recognizable children's literacy initiatives in the world.
Smart Start's statewide network has helped bring the program to families throughout North Carolina. The Imagination Library is available in every county in the state, although availability for new enrollment can depend on local funding and capacity.
Smart Start locally joined the tributes Tuesday, reflecting on Parton's influence on generations of young readers.
“Today, we join people around the world in mourning the loss of Dolly Parton — an extraordinary artist, philanthropist, and champion for children,” Smart Start wrote. “Dolly’s impact reaches far beyond music. Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, she helped make the joy and opportunity of books accessible to children and families around the world.”
The organization said its work as a local Imagination Library partner would continue Parton's mission.
“As a proud local partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, we are honored to carry forward her vision in our community by helping place books into the hands and hearts of young children,” Smart Start wrote.
Parton often described books as a way of planting the beginnings of children's dreams.
“The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
As flags fly at half-staff in Thomasville and across the country, Parton's legacy can also be found in something much smaller: books arriving in children's mailboxes and homes, including those of families here in Davidson County, carrying forward a mission she began more than three decades ago.
“Her voice may be silent, but her legacy will continue to grow — one child, one book, and one dream at a time,” Smart Start wrote.
