Respect for Ri

Harvard University give their Humanitarian Award to people who have ‘inspired us to higher heights’. Past recipients have included civil rights activist Martin Luther King, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Nobel Peace Prize winner and female education activist, Malala Yousafzai. In 2017, they decided to give the honour to Rihanna. ‘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’, explained Harvard’s director. With this and her Clara Lionel Scholarship for Caribbean students aiming for US Colleges, plus her work with The Global Partnership for Education, her philanthropy has had a significant impact and was duly recognised by the most prestigious academic institution.

Her speech at the ceremony revealed her incredulity: ‘So I made it to Harvard. Never thought I’d be able to say that in my life, but it feels good.’ opposite: Rihanna receives her Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award, February 2017.