Lady Antebellum, the seven-time Grammy award–winning country band, is no more—at least by that name. Now, they will go by Lady A.
The group known for the single “Need You Now” announced the change on Thursday, citing “the associations that weigh down this word [antebellum] referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery.” The move comes as the nation continues to experience widespread protests over police brutality against black Americans, following the police killing of George Floyd.
Lady A, formed in Nashville in 2006, said the group made the decision “after much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer, and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues.” The band said the initial name chosen 14 years ago was named after a Southern “antebellum”-style home where the group took its first photos.
“We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen, or undervalued,” the band said, adding that “we can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization. What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it, and take action.”
The band says it now feels “awakened” and pledged to make a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative.
“We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations, and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning,” the band wrote in an Instagram post. “To grow into better humans, better neighbors.”
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