Since the horrific incident in which a white police officer killed George Floyd, people in all parts of the world are in shock. Almost everyone is trying to implement changes to address systemic racism in a better way. On June 11, 2020, Charles Kelly, Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum participated in an online discussion about the current incidents. In the process, some people started calling out the team for the name “Lady Antebellum.”
It is because the same name has negative connotations associated with the pre-Civil War times. Just after some time, the team addressed everyone from their Instagram and Twitter handles. It was to announce certain changes that they had decided to make. It was a long, heartfelt note that has touched the hearts of many. They had already changed the team’s name to “Lady A” by then. According to note, they said that as a band, Lady A has always tried to make music the answer to everything. However, the last few weeks were life-changing for many including them.
Dear fans… pic.twitter.com/7JlcH2NMl6
— Lady A (@ladya) June 11, 2020
Their hearts are filled with conviction and eyes have opened regarding the agenda. They are also aware of the oppression, brutality, and injustice that black people have been tolerating to date. All the blind spots have been revealed now. So, after a lot of conversations, discussions, and prayers with some of their closest black friends, they have decided to take this step. They further announced their decision of dropping the name ‘Antebellum’ and keeping it as Lady A. It is also named, that fans had given them right from when they had started their journey.
The history of Antebellum
The team recalled the time 14 years back when the journey of music started. At that time Antebellum in the south was where they had spent a lot of time and so the name reminds them of those memories. As musicians, falling back to where it all came from helps them to carry on what they are doing. It was the Southern Rock, Country, Blues, Gospel, and R&B that worked as a base for the music that they create. However, the team now regrets that they did not consider back then the painful history associated with the name Antebellum.
The pre-Civil War times bring back the dark memories of slavery, oppression, and brutality. The Lady A team apologized for all the times that they have hurt the feelings and emotions of people unknowingly. They say that hurting people was never their intention. However, they know that all this does not change the fact that people were hurt in the process. So, it was finally time that they make the much-required change. They also stated that it was a late realization, but a massive one for everyone in the team, and they request everyone to support them. It is just a small step, and the team will try to take such steps again. It is a commitment to the cause of antiracism, and everyone needs to come together to make it a success. They are also planning to make some donations to the Equal Justice Initiative on behalf of LadyAID.