The first obvious question is: What does the “A” stand for in their new name?
Lady Antebellum, the country music trio best known for their 2009 hit “Need You Now,” announced Thursday that the band would change its name to Lady A after “much personal reflection” and conversations with some of their “closest black friend.”
The band’s decision comes after the weeks of unrest after George Floyd’s death in police custody. The band members said they have opened their eyes to “the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced.”
“We did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery. We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued,” band members Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood posted. They added: “We can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization. What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it and take action.”
Todd Starnes, the host of the Todd Starnes Show, warned Americans of the coming censorship in his latest book, “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.” Click here to get a copy.
The band was created in 2006 in Nashville and both Kelley and Haywood were students at the University of Georgia. They said in the past that the name was in reference to the “Antebellum”- style homes where the were photographed early in their careers, according to the Washington Post. The said they are now “regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery.”
The band’s decision to change its name comes as the nation’s cultural history is under attack. Statues ruled offensive by mobs I cities across the U.S. are being toppled and left-wing Democrats are calling on police departments to be defunded.
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Earlier this week, HBO Max announced its decision to pull “Gone With the Wind” from its streaming library, and shows like “Cops” and “Live PD” have been canceled.
The swift move to erase the country’s past from memory has been troubling to some observers.
Todd Starnes, the radio-show host and author of “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left from Killing a Nation,” said Wednesday that, “Here we are, in American history, that anything that you don’t like can be irradiated. And the problem with that is that when you erase your history, you are prone to repeat that history.”