The legendary singer-songwriter-actress Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday, and it has already left a crater-sized hole in not just the world of the arts, but philanthropy. Parton often followed Jesus' admonition to do her good deeds in secret. As my RedState colleague Becky Noble wrote, while much of Parton's charitable work was well known, a lot of it was not.
For example, for decades, Parton sponsored many high schools, including majority-Black ones, in covering the price of their uniforms and band equipment with little to no fanfare.
Dolly Parton spent decades quietly funding band uniforms and instruments at Black high schools across the South - never once putting her name on it. No headlines, no fanfare — just help, given because it was needed.
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) August 25, 2026
Rhinestones on the outside, gold on the inside. 💛
30+ years ago I was in high school marching band in East Tennessee. One year we played Sevier County High School...and DANG that band was equipped - uniforms, instruments, flags, everything. Mountain area, much poverty. Paid for by Dolly Parton. That woman is a national treasure.
— DSquared (@blusurfer) October 6, 2022
But one of Parton's signature philanthropic efforts that she publicly promoted was the "Imagination Library." In 1995, Parton started the Imagination Library in her native Sevier County, TN, to honor her late father. Robert Lee Parton never learned to read, so Parton desired that no child would be left behind in acquiring this essential life skill.
Though Robert Lee Parton couldn't read, 25 years after his death he remains the reason more than 3 million children are gifted a book each month.
The catalyst was his daughter, Dolly Parton, an international icon who touched the lives of people across the world with her music, magnetism and a multitude of philanthropic efforts. And she never forgot her Sevier County roots.
In 1995 − well into her lifelong stardom − she created the Imagination Library to inspire children in her hometown as a tribute to her father.
"He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams," Parton said on her website. She didn't want children in future generations to face the same barriers he did.
Over 30 years later, this effort has spread from Pigeon Forge, TN, to states across the nation and worldwide. Imagination Library distributes books to children in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, and Canada. But only a day after her death, reports state the Imagination Library program could be in trouble.
Dolly Parton leaves behind her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children around the world, but the organization is facing money struggles.
Imagination Library is primarily funded by on the ground groups like school districts, nonprofits and local businesses. The charity is also funded by the government in some states. Now funding in many of those states is being threatened by lawmakers who argue states have more important needs, and the private sector can keep the program going.
In Missouri, lawmakers cut millions from the program’s budget this year. The cuts prevent new children from enrolling. Indiana eliminated 50% of its funding, leaving libraries and nonprofits struggling to make up the difference.
In 2026, Missouri ranked 28th in reading education and has continued to fall lower since 2022. The state legislators might want to rethink their priorities or encourage local philanthropists to move their efforts into reading education rather than the private funding that goes to the LGBTQ plus all the letters and other WOKE nonsense.
Washington state could do the same. They are currently fighting the battle against indoctrination and Woke, with measures like IL26-638 on the November ballot. If passed, this measure would reserve girls’ sports for biological females, and it is causing quite the uproar between Seattle leftists and the redder parts of the state.
According to reports, there are 80,000 children in Washington state enrolled in the Imaginary Library program. Now Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal is begging the ultra-liberal Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) to restore funding for something that helps children, rather than harms them.
In Washington state, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal is urging lawmakers to restore funding as a tribute to Dolly’s memory.
“One meaningful way we can honor Dolly’s legacy is to carry it forward,” the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction posted to Facebook Tuesday. “OSPI is again asking Governor Bob Ferguson and the Legislature to fully restore the state’s share of funding for the Imagination Library, helping ensure young children across Washington can continue receiving free books each month.”
Parton's family is encouraging Americans and all people who love children and love reading to keep the Imagination Library alive with their donations.
In 2023, Reykdal interviewed Dolly Parton at a celebration commemorating the Washington state funding for the Imagination Library. Eighteen minutes, but worth the watch.
WATCH:
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