Rihanna turned up to collect the President’s Award at the 51st annual NAACP Image Awards, all up in royal purple. This award is given in celebration of exceptional success and noteworthy public service, and Rihanna is a committed philanthropist in addition to being an ever-evolving artist. In memory of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite, she established The Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012 to support climate justice programs in the Caribbean and the US as well as assist localities in becoming more resilient to natural catastrophes.
Speaking, Rihanna acknowledged the accolade, “The purpose is bigger than me, right?’ My part is a very small part of what’s being done in this world and what is yet to be done.” The music sensation and mother of two is the latest winner of this coveted honor, joining a select group of other industry titans including LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Colin Powell, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, and Soledad O’Brien.
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“If there’s anything that I’ve learned, it’s that we can only fix this world together,” the “Lift Me Up” singer shared. “We can’t do it divided. I can’t emphasize that enough. We can’t let the de-sensitivity seep in.”
Rihanna wanted everyone to understand that it was past time for us to band together to safeguard and take care of Black lives. With Black individuals who are unarmed, non-threatening, and typically victims of police or civilian brutality continuously rising, the international mogul and Bajan Heroine utilized her platform to call on everyone to “pull up!”
