Six Kent State University scholars gathered to explore how Dolly Parton became one of America's most influential cultural figures — not just as a musician, but as a peacebuilder, educator and philanthropist."She could talk about poverty without asking for pity," said Amanda Johnson, Ph.D., director of the Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education and the forum's moderator. "She could talk about her family, her mountains, her accent, her faith without apologizing. Then she became one of the most recognizable people on the planet. But she never pretended to be somebody ...