Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty is more than music, makeup, and lingerie. The Savage x Fenty business owner also has an affinity for social justice and she’s putting her money where her mouth is in her recent public display of being one of the dopest people alive. Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF), Rihanna’s philanthropic organization, pledged $15 million to climate change initiatives that she believes is a part of a bigger issue.
“At the Clara Lionel Foundation, our work is rooted in the reality that climate disasters, which are growing in frequency and intensity, do not impact all communities equally,” said a statement from CLF. “Under-resourced countries, communities of color, and island nations are facing the brunt. To combat this inequity, funders must build partnerships with organizations, acknowledging their deep understanding of what is necessary to achieve climate justice in their own communities.”
The Barbados native knows all too well the impact of climate change on the Caribbean island destinations, which have suffered from mother nature’s increasingly intense weather conditions, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and high temperatures.
The donation is made in partnership with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s philanthropic initiative #StartSmall, and will be distributed among 18 different organizations dedicated to climate change issues impacting the U.S. and Caribbean, including the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Movement for Black Lives, Climate Justice Alliance, and the Indigenous Environmental Network.
Founded in 2012 to honor Rih Rih’s grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite, Clara Lionel Foundation supports and funds education initiatives and emergency response to natural disasters, with a focus on climate change and social equality. Since its inception, the foundation has donated modern medical equipment to Barbados hospitals, campaigned with Mac Cosmetics to raise funds for those impacted by HIV/AIDs, helped victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, and launched the Climate Resilience Initiative.
