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Dixie Chicks to Drop ‘Dixie,’ a Term With Ties to Slavery

Dixie Chicks Appear to Drop ‘Dixie’ in Band Name

Country-music band Dixie Chicks dropped “Dixie” from its name -- abandoning a word with ties to the Old South, slavery and racism -- in the latest example of a cultural shift sweeping the entertainment industry.

The band is now simply going by the Chicks on its website and social media, following a similar move by fellow country stars Lady Antebellum, who rechristened themselves Lady A earlier this month. Both “Dixie” and “antebellum” have been used to glamorize the South during the era of slavery.

In the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality and prejudice, the entertainment industry has been examining the images and terms it uses -- and whether they promote racism. Nascar banned Confederate flags from its events, and the HBO Max streaming service removed “Gone With the Wind” earlier this month, before restoring it with historical context.

“We want to meet this moment,” the Chicks proclaimed on the band’s website. Their latest song, “March March,” features lyrics and imagery in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. A representative for the band’s label, Columbia Records, confirmed the new name.

An editorial in Variety last week suggested that the band make the change.

“The trio took their name from a 1973 Little Feat album, ‘Dixie Chicken,’ that is free of any overt politicizing. Its subtext, however, is a different story,” guest columnist Jeremy Helligar wrote. “‘Dixie,’ for the record, is the epitome of White America, a celebration of a Southern tradition that is indivisible from Black slaves and those grand plantations where they were forced to toil for free.”

Unlike many country acts, the Dixie Chicks have long been known for their liberal stance. The band, formed in 1989 in Dallas, was blacklisted by some radio stations in 2003 after they criticized George W. Bush.

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