Why Did the Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum Change Their Names?

Last Thursday, popular country band known as “The Dixie Chicks” announced that they were dropping the “Dixie” from their name and would go by just “The Chicks”. The band offered a brief statement on their website that said they wanted to “meet this moment.” Weeks earlier, another popular country trio known as “Lady Antebellum” released a letter to fans announcing they had changed their name to Lady A. Both changes were made in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests and drew light on systemic racism within the entertainment industry. But what exactly made these original band names problematic?

Dear Fans,⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge…inclusive of all. We’ve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases Black women and men have always faced and continue to face everyday. Now, blindspots we didn’t even know existed have been revealed.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word “antebellum” from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the southern “antebellum” style home where we took our first photos. As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the south that influenced us…Southern Rock, Blues, R&B, Gospel and of course Country. But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that 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. Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that. So today, we speak up and make a change. We hope you will dig in and join us.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ We feel like we have been Awakened, but this is just one step. There are countless more that need to be taken. We want to do better. We are committed to examining our individual and collective impact and making the necessary changes to practice antiracism. We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning-to grow into better humans, better neighbors. Our next outward step will be a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative through LadyAID. Our prayer is that if we lead by example…with humility, love, empathy and action…we can be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices, while influencing our children & generations to come.

“The Dixie Chicks” was inspired by a 1973 album called “Dixie Chicken” by the country-rock group Little Feat. However, “Dixie” is a reference to the confederate-era South and the word is often used to describe states south of the Mason-Dixon line, whose white citizens were allowed to own slaves. The song “Dixie”, also known as “I Wish I Was in Dixie” is the name of a popular minstrel song in the Confederacy that glorified slavery during the Civil War.

The Chicks’ name change didn’t come as a surprise to most, as the band has never been shy about sharing their opinions on social and political issues. In 2003, they infamously criticized then-president George W. Bush for invading Iraq and said they were “ashamed” that he was from Texas, which lost them a large portion of their conservative fanbase. Along with their name change, The Chicks released a video for their new song “March March” that featured images from protests for women’s rights, gay rights, and the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Meanwhile, in the letter they released to fans, Lady A explained that their original name was a reference to the “antebellum” style home they took their first photos in as well as the music that inspired them.

“As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the south that inspired us…Southern Rock, Blues, R&B, Gospel and of course Country,” they wrote. 

However, the term “antebellum” is often used to refer to the pre-Civil War south and romanticizes slavery and plantation life. Lady A apologized for their past ignorance about the term’s connotation and said that the name change was  just the first step the band was taking to promote social change. 

“We are committed to examining our individual and collective impact and making the necessary changes to practice antiracism. We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning- to grow into better human, better neighbors.”

Dear fans… pic.twitter.com/7JlcH2NMl6

— Lady A (@ladya) June 11, 2020

The name changes came  at a time where figures and organizations are recognizing  the systemic racism within our culture. NASCAR, an organization known for their majority white and conservative audience., recently banned the confederate flag from its races, Aunt Jemima also plans to retire its name and original imagery, as its origins are based in racial stereotypes.