Lady Antebellum have officially changed their name to Lady A, dropping the word “antebellum” due to its association with slavery.

Over the years many fans urged the band to change their name, and more recently the band says they have been “awakened” in recent weeks as the urge from fans became greater after the death of George Floyd and the current fight for racial equality.

The band announced the decision on Instagram saying, “But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery.

“We want to do better. We are committed to examining our individual and collective impact and making the necessary changes to practice anti-racism. We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning — to grow into better humans, better neighbors,” the band writes. “Our prayer is that if we lead by example … with humility, love, empathy and action … we can be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices, while influencing our children and generations to come.”

The band says the name change is “just one step” in continuing the fight for racial equality in America, and they are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued.

They are also making a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative through their charity fund, LadyAID.