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Rihanna Declared Barbados’ National Hero
Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty is now a National Hero of Barbados. As many are asking for her next album, the Barbados native has been making rounds in other areas.
Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Garfield Sobers, new President Sandra Mason, Rihanna and The Prince of Wales during the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony to mark the birth of a new republic in Barbados.
Image ID: 2H8FMJR // Arthur Edwards // PA Wire#Barbados pic.twitter.com/Lh4Hb1C2Dp
— Alamy Editorial (@Alamy_Editorial) November 30, 2021
After hundreds of years, Barbados has become a Republic after severing ties with the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is no longer the Head of State. This move officially cuts ties with the UK which has been in place since 1966.
To enumerate the change, appointed its own head of state, Dame Sandra Mason. Until now, she represented the Queen as Barbados’s governor-general. She has officially began serving a four-year term as president.
Rihanna meets Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, as she is called upon as National Hero of Barbados. (Picture: Getty/ Rex)
She specifically addressed Prime Minister Mia Mottley today in a ceremony celebration her countries movement forward.
“Thank you so much for honoring me in this way I have traveled the world and received several awards and recognitions. But nothing, nothing compares to being recognized in the soil you grew in.”
#BREAKING – The Right Excellent Robyn @rihanna Fenty, National Hero of Barbados addresses the nation
"I am so proud to be Bajan.. I am going to be a Bajan until I die – this is still the only place I ever called home"#BIMRepublic #HistoRIH pic.twitter.com/F6AcpV3mTg
— Kevz Politics (@KevzPolitics) November 30, 2021
Why is Rihanna Barbados’ National Hero?
A National Hero is someone who has made significant positive contributions to the growth and development of society, and represents all of us. Notably, Rihanna has embodied every ounce of the honor she received. She makes constant and conscious efforts to ensure the advancement of the country she loves so much. Her noble qualities and achievements have brought her admiration from all who have seen her in action.
In 2018, she became an ambassador for Barbados’ education system. In this role, she became responsible for promoting education, tourism, and investment for the island. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley told Deadline she believed Rihanna to be especially suited for due to her “creative acumen and shrewdness in business.”
“Rihanna has a deep love for this country and this is reflected in her philanthropy, especially in the areas of health and education. She also shows her patriotism in the way she gives back to Barbados and continues to treasure the island as her home,” Mottley said. “She has demonstrated, beyond her success as a pop icon, significant creative acumen and shrewdness in business. It is therefore fitting that we engage and empower her to play a more definitive role as we work to transform Barbados.”
The Coronavirus pandemic was hard for those affected. In 2020, Rihanna pledged $5 million to poverty stricken countries. Indeed, she sent 700,000 ventilators to her home country. She made this donation through her Clara Lionel Foundation.
Obviously, this does not cover all of her amazing contributions to her beloved country. But it illustrates the Prime Ministers distinguished honor to Ms. Fenty.
Written by Antoinette Ford
