Global superstar and business mogul Robyn Rihanna Fenty didn’t disappoint last night (February 22, 2020) at the The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) annual Image Awards, where she emphasized unity in a heartfelt acceptance speech for the President’s Award, the organization’s most distinguished prize.
Held on Saturday evening (February 2020) in the Pasadena Civic Center in California, a stunning Rihanna wore a gorgeous purple Givenchy haute couture gown from the label’s spring 2020 collection to deliver her speech.
After thanking the organization, Rihanna stated, “I’m going to try and keep this simple because tonight is not really about me. The purpose is bigger than me, right. It’s not bigger than us together but it’s bigger than me. My part is a very small part of the work that’s being done in this world and the work that’s yet to be done.”
Reflecting on what she’s learned since founding her charity, the Clara Lionel Foundation, in 2012, she continued, “If here’s anything that I’ve learned, we can only fix this world together. We can’t do it divided. I can’t emphasize that enough. We can’t let the desensitivity seep in. That if it’s your problem then it’s not mine.
“It’s a woman’s problem. It’s a black people problem. It’s a poor people problem. How many us in this have colleagues and partners and friends from other races, sexes, religions. Show of hands.”
The 32-year-old entertainer and CEO closed with an exhortation that sounded a lot like bars when she stated, “Well then, you know, they want to break bread with you. They like you? Well then, this is their problem, too. So when we’re marching and protesting and posting about the Michael Brown Junions and the Atatiana Jeffersons of the world, tell your friends to pull up.”
Check out Rihanna’s full speech below.
