Dolly Parton statue may replace KKK leader monument at the Tennessee capitol

A statue of former KKK leader and Confederate soldier Nathan Bedford Forrest that has been in the Tennessee capitol for over 40 years could be replaced by another famous Tennessean.

Local lawmakers are considering options to replace Forrest and according to reports, Dolly Parton is one candidate.

The Tennessean reported in December last year that Republican state Rep. Jeremy Faison was the first person to bring up the idea of removing the statue that's been in the capitol building since 1978. Faison said he could "think of 100 other people deserving of that post" before suggesting Parton because of her popularity and status as a local and national role model.

“If we want to preserve history, then let’s tell it the right way," said Faison. "How about getting a lady in there? My daughter is 16, and I would love for her to come into the Capitol and see a lady up there... What’s wrong with someone like Dolly Parton being put in that alcove?”

Dolly Parton performs on the Pyramid Stage during Day 3 of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2014 in Glastonbury, England. 

Lately there has been mounting pressure to downplay Nathan Bedford Forrest's legacy in Tennessee, in the wake of George Floyd's death and the Black Lives Matter movement.