Bright like a diamond: Harvard honors Rihanna’s philanthropy

Grammy Award-winning singer Rihanna. AP FILE PHOTO

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  — Harvard University thinks Rihanna shines bright like a diamond when it comes to philanthropy.

The Grammy Award-winning singer is being honored Tuesday as Harvard’s 2017 Humanitarian of the Year.

The university says it chose Rihanna for her involvement in a number of charitable causes. She built a state-of-the-art center for oncology and nuclear medicine to diagnose and treat breast cancer in her home nation of Barbados.

She also created the Clara Lionel Foundation scholarship program — named for her grandparents — for students from the Caribbean who attend college in the U.S.

Rihanna also supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen Project, providing children with access to education in more than 60 developing countries.

Previous winners include actor James Earl Jones and activist Malala Yousafzai.