Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the queen of my heart and maybe yours will grace Hahvahd Yahd (sorry) with her presence next week because she has been named the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year!
A statement from Harvard Foundation director S. Allen Counter lays out her philanthropic achievements thusly:
“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.
She has also created the Clara and Lionel Foundation Scholarship Program [named for her grandmother and grandfather] for students attending college in the U.S. from Caribbean countries, and supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen Project, a multiyear campaign that will provide 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.”
Those are all fantastic achievements and excellent uses of her time and her resources. People also points out that Rihanna travelled to Malawi last month on behalf of her foundation and also upped Prince Harry’s cool quota by approximately a billion by hanging out with him in Barbados on World AIDS Day, taking an HIV finger prick test together and hanging out.
Other notable achievements as of late include securing her 30th top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for “Love on the Brain”— the best song off ANTI for singing in the shower or to your cat who wishes you were anywhere else but in their face—breaking her previously-held tie with Michael Jackson. Another less notable but still significant achievement is this close-up of her nail game at the Grammys, which has made me seriously reconsider a square nail with a subtle French manicure.
Other recipients of the Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award include James Earl Jones, U.N. Secretary Kofi Anan, tennis player Arthur Ashe and Malala. She’s in great company! Congratulations Rihanna!! You deserve it!