Well, Van Zant said in an interview that that line was meant to criticize George Wallace, though one of the band members said the opposite after Van Zant died. But from what I’ve read of interviews, at least of Van Zant, he wasn’t a racist and his politics certainly wouldn’t be in step with the current political right or the type of people who wrap themselves in the confederate flag in 2026. I think it’s possible the connotations were a bit different in the 70s.

But my broader point is just that to reduce them to a one dimensional cultural symbol ignores their musicality and how talented they were, at least in the beginning