Dolly Parton’s Gift to California’s Children

Dolly Parton’s Gift to California’s Children: A Legacy Delivered One Book at a Time

Reginald Scott Webb Jr. | California Black Media

Dolly Parton leaves a lasting legacy in the hearts and homes of California’s children through a literacy program that has delivered nearly 3 million free books across the state.

Parton, the internationally celebrated singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, died Aug. 25 at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer. While millions worldwide are remembering her music, films and unmistakable personality, California families are also honoring the “Book Lady” whose Imagination Library helped introduce thousands of young children to the joy of reading.

Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to provide children from birth to age 5 with a free, age-appropriate book delivered to their homes each month. 

The program began in Sevier County, Tennessee, where Parton grew up in poverty, and eventually expanded throughout the United States and internationally, delivering 300 million books worldwide. 

California joined that effort after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1183 into law on Sept. 30, 2022. Authored by state Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and co-authored by then-Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), the bipartisan legislation created the statewide Imagination Library program.

California committed approximately $68 million over five years to support the expansion, making the books available at no cost to participating families regardless of income. 

The program began expanding statewide in June 2023 with the goal of serving children in all 58 counties by 2028. California also became the first state to offer families a fully bilingual English-to-Spanish book option.

Nearly 2.9 million books have been delivered in California since the statewide expansion began, and approximately 172,000 children currently receive books through the program, according to the Imagination Library. The initiative is designed to eventually reach as many as 2.4 million California children under age 5.

Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom recognized Parton’s literacy work in a joint statement issued after her death.

“Dolly was larger than life. The only thing bigger than her hair was her heart.”

They also praised Parton for challenging gender double standards, supporting communities of color, standing with the LGBTQ community and spreading a love of reading to tens of thousands of California children. 

Newsom ordered flags at state buildings flown at half-staff in her honor.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also emphasized the reach of Parton’s California legacy.

“Dolly Parton understood that a legacy isn’t only what you accomplish for yourself, but what you make possible for others. Through her Imagination Library, children across California gained access to free books, Bass said in a statement. “She redefined what it meant to be a woman in entertainment and will continue to inspire generations to come. Dolly Parton is a daughter of Tennessee, but Los Angeles and California were an important part of her extraordinary story.”

Although the program is available to every eligible child, its expansion has been especially significant for families in communities where household budgets, educational inequities and limited access to books can hinder early literacy. 

State and local officials have worked to increase enrollment in underserved communities, including areas of Los Angeles, Alameda, Sacramento and San Bernardino counties.

The program was inspired by Parton’s father, Robert Lee Parton, who never learned to read or write. Watching her parents struggle with literacy shaped her understanding of how reading could influence a child’s future.

“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world,” Parton once said.

Parton’s influence extended far beyond books. Over a career spanning seven decades, she sold more than 100 million records worldwide and wrote thousands of songs, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” which became one of the most successful songs in music history after Whitney Houston recorded it.

Parton won 10 competitive Grammy Awards and 10 Country Music Association Awards and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. She also received two Academy Award nominations for best original song: “9 to 5,” from the 1980 film of the same name.  

She also supported communities affected by wildfires and other disasters.

In California, however, one of the clearest measures of Parton’s legacy continues arriving in mailboxes each month. 

 “The world will be less sparkly without Dolly, but the joy she brought and the stories she shared will shine for generations,” Newsom and First Partner Siebel Newsom said.