Listener-supported KSUT delivers NPR News and Music Discovery for the Four Corners, on-air and online, from its studios on Southern Ute lands in Ignacio, Colorado.

KSUT is an independent, non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors and is not a tribally owned station or service.

© 2026 KSUT Public Radio

NPR News and Music Discovery for the Four Corners

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Why many Black Americans feel a special kinship with Dolly Parton

NPR | By Jordan-Marie Smith,

Justine Kenin, Adrian Florido

Published August 26, 2026 at 2:27 PM MDT

The late superstar Dolly Parton had an incredible legacy in American culture. That was even true from a Black American viewpoint. The Black Wall Street Times' Nehemiah Frank describes Parton's impact.

Jordan-Marie Smith

Jordan-Marie Smith is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.

Justine Kenin

Justine Kenin is an editor on All Things Considered.

Adrian Florido

Adrian Florido is a national correspondent for NPR covering race and identity in America.