Harvard University announced today (Jan. 23) that Rihanna has been bestowed with the honor of being named their “Humanitarian of the Year.” The R&B singer was chosen because of her many humanitarian projects, such as her building a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment facility in Barbados and creating a scholarship program for students attending U.S. colleges from Caribbean countries.
“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,” the Harvard Foundation’s director S. Allen Counter said in a statement.
“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.”
Past honorees include Ban Ki-moon, Malala Yousafzai, and actor James Earl Jones. RiRi will accept the honor on site at the university’s campus next Tuesday.
