Singer: Suit shows white privilege

Dispute involves band that made name change

Singer Anita White, who was sued by a country group over the use of the name Lady A, says the group is using its white privilege against her.

The band, which had previously been known as Lady Antebellum, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday seeking a ruling that its use of the trademark Lady A does not infringe on White’s use of the same name. The band is not seeking monetary damages.

The Grammy-winning band made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, all of whom are white, changed its name last month, saying it regrets not having taken into consideration the word’s associations with slavery.

White, who is Black, told Rolling Stone magazine in an article posted Friday that she felt like she was being erased. White said she had been performing as Lady A for more than 20 years.

White said that in negotiations with the band over the use of the name, she requested $10 million, half of which she would use to rebrand herself and the other half she would donate to charities of her choice, including those associated with Black Lives Matter.

“I have to rebrand myself. I don’t want to have to share a name with you. And you shouldn’t be allowed to just get a slap on the wrist,” White said. “I wanted my name. All I ever wanted was to keep my name in the blues genre doing what I did. I should not have to bend to (the band’s) will because they’ve got money,” she said.

The lawsuit states that the country group filed for a trademark for the name Lady A back in 2010.

The Associated Press file Lady A, formerly Lady Antebellum, filed a lawsuit against a Black singer who has used the band’s new name as her stage name for years.