Rihanna has been named the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year, an award to recognize “prominent public-spirited leaders each year in honor of the late Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes.”
Harvard Foundation director S. Allen Counter cites numerous causes and humanitarian work the singer has done, saying “Rihanna has charitably built a state-of- the-art center for oncology and nuclear medicine to diagnose and treat breast cancer at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados.” Counter also notes the work Rihanna has done for children’s education globally:
In 2012, she founded the nonprofit the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program [named for her grandparents] for students attending college in the U.S. from Caribbean countries, and supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen Project, which provides children with access to education in over 60 developing countries, giving priority to girls, and those affected by lack of access to education in the world today
I knew that Rihanna was active in humanitarian work in addition to being a general amazing woman, but I didn’t know to what extent! It’s wonderful that she’s being recognized for the work she does. She will accept the Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award at a ceremony February 28th.
(via Entertainment Weekly, Image via Instagram)
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