Thousands of Britney Spears fans are hoping Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will replace the state’s Confederate monuments with one of Louisiana’s best-known native stars. Protesters across the country have pulled down or vandalized Confederate statues amid the protests of racial inequality and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death on May 25. Fans have put forward their favorite celebrities as suggestions on social media to replace the monuments.
Spears fan Kassie Thibodeaux created a Change.org petition to Bel Edwards, the Louisiana State Senate, State House, U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. Thibodeaux noted that Spears was born in Kentwood, Louisiana and has “proven her strength of character by not only overcoming highly publicized mental breakdown but by continuously working towards improving herself.” She called Spears an “inspiration to millions,” then went on to list some of the charitable causes Spears has contributed to in her home state. The petition was first published in 2017 but has regained attention due to the latest protests.
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“She’s already earned her star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, and now it’s time for her home state to honor her with the tribute that she deserves,” Thibodeaux wrote. “Do the right thing: Replace the Confederate statues with an actual Louisiana hero and influential human being, Britney Spears.” There are plenty of people who agree with Thibodeaux, as more than 10,200 people have signed the petition as of Friday night.
New Orleans has removed several confederate statues already, but one group is also hoping officials will remove a statue of President Andrew Jackson in Jackson Square. Although Jackson died before the Civil War, he was a slave owner and remains a controversial figure for signing the Indiana Removal Act. The group Take Em Down NOLA told WWLTV they plan to urge the New Orleans City council to remove the statue before the end of June. The group also wants schools, streets, and parks named after Confederate-era leaders to be renamed.
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, Dolly Parton fans are trying to get the state’s Confederate statues replaced with statues of the “9 to 5” singer. A Change.org petition created on Thursday already has more than 700 signatures. “Tennessee is littered with statues memorializing confederate officers,” petitioner Alex Parsons wrote. “History should not be forgotten, but we need not glamorize those who do not deserve our praise. Instead, let us honor a true Tennessee hero, Dolly Parton.”
