Harvard Has Named Rihanna Its Humanitarian of the Year

Rihanna. Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

In what seems to not be one of those insufferable Harvard “jokes,” Rihanna, the Barbadian pop star who is both great and good, has been named Harvard University’s Humanitarian of the Year. From the Harvard Gazette:

“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,” said S. Allen Counter, the Harvard Foundation’s director.

“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.”

Rihanna will appear on Harvard University’s campus on February 28 to accept the award, which has been given in years past to Malala Yousafzai, James Earl Jones, and Arthur Ashe, among others. Students can attend the ceremony for free, which, lucky.

Rihanna’s humanitarian work isn’t limited to just women and education, though. She notably saved the entire Grammy awards show last Sunday by just being herself.

[UPDATE 2/28/2017]: The queen has arrived.

Harvard Has Named Rihanna Its Humanitarian of the Year