Rihanna’s Foundation Donates $15 Million to Climate Justice Groups
Singer and superstar Rihanna has just come out swinging against Climate Change. The global sensation has just donated a staggering
Ivy Griffith
Singer and superstar Rihanna has just come out swinging against Climate Change. The global sensation has just donated a staggering $15 million to climate justice groups from her foundation. This marks the latest move by a celebrity to bring attention to – and donate to the cause of – combatting the devasting effects of Climate Change. Some criticize stars like Rihanna, Leonardo DiCaprio and others for getting involved in the cause, when they live lifestyles that usually leave large carbon footprints – but they’re doing more to help vulnerable populations than many others.
Rihanna Foundation Takes Swing at Climate Change
Rihanna’s attention to Climate Change is nothing new, but a donation of this size will give climate justice groups a chance to make some headway in the neverending battle against modern society’s march into the arms of climate disaster.
Per Bang Showbiz, via MSN, “A statement explained: ‘Climate disasters, which are growing in frequency and intensity, do not impact all communities equally, with communities of colour and island nations facing the brunt of climate change.
‘In this spirit, we are proud to commit $15 million to 18 organisations working on climate justice across the US and Caribbean in partnership with #StartSmall, Jack Dorsey’s philanthropic initiative.
‘These grants support entities focused on and led by women, youth, black, indigenous, people of colour and LGBTQIA+ communities. We invite others to join us in elevating, funding and supporting these groups and others who are on the frontlines of the climate justice movement.’”
Because minority populations often live in areas where there is more vulnerable infrastructure due to generations of systemic racism and inequal opportunities, these populations are the first to feel the brunt of Climate Change. Case in point: the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. The more affluent and less diverse areas of the city are often built higher and with better flood-prevention infrastructure. When Katrina hit, 58% of those in effected neighborhoods were Black and people of color, representing a much larger percentage than they make of the population (45%).
This scenario plays out again and again in other cities across the world where a history of racism has pushed minority populations into less desirable, more flood-prone, less sturdily built areas – making them ground zero for climate disasters.
Rihanna’s 2022
It makes sense that Rihanna would focus her money on helping these vulnerable populations, with her history of helping social justice causes, with which Climate Change causes intersect.
Rihanna’s 2022 is starting off on a bright note. Aside from the success of being able to donate $15M to a cause she considers important, her Savage x Fenty brand recently raised $125M with new United Arab Emirates investors. Associated Press reports, “An Abu Dhabi-based investment firm linked to a top security official in the United Arab Emirates said Thursday it has invested $25 million in Savage X Fenty, the lingerie company co-founded by megastar and business mogul Rihanna.
Savage X Fenty also raised new investment from the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund, owned by the Abu Dhabi government.
It comes as Rihanna’s lingerie brand this week reportedly secured $125 million in a third round of capital raised as it opens its first retail store in Las Vegas. The brand plans to open other brick-and-mortar locations in malls in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Houston. It will showcase its range of sizes on mannequins showcasing different body types. The brand’s ethos celebrates inclusivity, similar to Rihanna’s makeup line that launched with a range of 40 shades of foundation for various skin colors.”
And on a less serious note, the singer was recently seen out and about making a fashion statement in a bright orange fuzzy overcoat that falls to her ankles over a pair of baggy camo pants and crystal-studded heels. It’s definitely an odd look, one Glamour cheekily calls “inspired by Philidelphia Flyers mascot Gritty.” But haters are gonna hate – and Rihanna makes everything look fierce.
Clara Lionel Foundation
Rihanna first launched her foundation, Clara Lionel Foundation, in 2012. The Foundation’s mission simply explains on the website, “CLF supports and funds climate resilience and justice projects in the U.S. and Caribbean. We advocate for policy and systems change to improve the quality of life for communities across the globe.”
The foundation focuses on the following missions:
- Climate Resilience: As Climate Change continues to increase its immense effects on vulnerable populations, the CLF is going into these communities ahead of time to help them prepare better to withstand the effects of disasters such as floods and wind events.
- Justice: In the United States and Caribbean, CLF focuses on providing justice grants to help support and advance the causes of marginalized people, marginalized people, women, youth, and the advancement of Indigenous rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, racial equality, and health.
- Legacy Projects: The foundation supports and donates to a variety of causes including racial justice and refugee crisis response as well as their inaugural project at the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados.
- COVID-19: In response to the emergency presented by the ongoing global pandemic, CLF works with partners and individuals to address the risks and impacts of COVID-19 for high-risk populations.
For more information on the Clara Lionel Foundation and the important work they do, visit the website.