Country music group changes name to avoid referencing Confederacy and slavery

“As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge…inclusive of all,” the band tweeted. “We’ve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened to the injustices, inequalities, and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face everyday. Now, blindspots we didn’t know existed have been revealed.”

“After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word ‘antebellum’ from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start,” its statement continued.

The band said that the members had chosen the name “Lady Antebellum” after doing a photo shoot in front of an antebellum-style home. The group said it was “embarrassed to say” that it did not consider that it was choosing a name that referred to the period of time before the Civil War when the South was still championing slavery.

“We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued. Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that,” the band wrote.

Confederate memorials and statues have been targeted by many as protests against racial injustice and police brutality continue following the death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man who died after a white officer knelt on his neck during an arrest. Several Confederate statues have been vandalized or removed by cities since the protests began.

Lady A has had huge success as a country music band and has taken home many awards, including a Grammy for “song of the year” for its 2010 hit “Need You Know.”