Rihanna started off her weekend by shining bright like a diamond.
The music superstar traveled to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Friday evening for the annual Black Girls Rock! event.
Set to air this Tuesday on BET, the annual event helps to promote the arts for young women of color as well as encourage dialogue and analysis of the ways women of color are portrayed in the media.
Activist and model Bethann Hardison helped close out the show by bestowing the Rock Star Award to Rihanna who had a special message to share with fans.
“Thank you so much for celebrating us in a world that doesn’t celebrate us enough,” she told the packed audience. “The minute you learn to love yourself, you will not want to be anybody else.”
She continued, “Role model is not the title they like to give me…but I think I can inspire a lot of young women to be themselves and that is half the battle. Hopefully one day I’ll be raising my own little black girl who rocks.”
The audience was able to watch a video montage of Rihanna’s life that included a moment with the singer’s grandma Gran Dolly. While walking to the podium, some attendees noticed RiRi tearing up before delivering her speech.
Rihanna is certainly having an amazing year in the music industry. In addition to touring across the country this summer, the singer continues to please fans with her latest hits including ” Kiss It Better,” “Needed Me” and “Work.”
Host Tracee Ellis Ross , Shonda Rhimes, Hillary Clinton, and Gladys Knight were just a few of the other famous faces on-hand to help celebrate women of color and raise awareness about the non-profit.
