Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and civil rights activist Shaun King will receive this year’s Diamond Ball Award at Rihanna’s fifth annual Diamond Ball, which will also feature performances from Pharrell and DJ Khaled.
“I can’t imagine a better night than this year’s Clara Lionel Foundation event with Seth Meyers, Pharrell and DJ Khaled,” said Rihanna. “I am particularly honored to present Prime Minister Mottley and Shaun King with this year’s Diamond Ball Awards for their groundbreaking work. We are so thankful to them for joining us and making the night better than ever.”
The previous two Diamond Balls featured rousing performances from Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino.
The Barbados Prime Minister’s carries the reputation of a trailblazer in politics. After becoming the first woman elected to lead the Barbados Labour Party, Mottley went on to serve as the first female Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados. Her career is also recognized for her work in spearheading progressive programs such as the Education Sector Enhancement Program, which aims to increase the amount of young people contributing to the social and economic development of the country through school facility and technology rehabilitation along with teacher training and curriculum reform.
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King, widely recognized for his social media use to highlight civil rights issues, will accept the award alongside Mottley. A graduate of Morehouse, he’s known for relaunching the Frederick Douglass publication “The North Star.” Additionally, King co-founded social justice lobbyist organization Real Justice PAC which looks to elect prosecutors of all levels who support criminal justice reform.
The formal event hosted by comedian Seth Myers, will benefit the Clara Lionel Foundation, an organization created by the singer to fund education and emergency response programs throughout the globe. In addition to its Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program and its current programs in Malawi, Senegal, and the Caribbean, the CLF recently announced a new partnership with International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region and Engineers Without Borders USA to build reproductive health facilities in the Caribbean.
Currently up for bid items at this year’s Diamond Ball auction include Jonas Brothers VIP experience, CC Sabathia signed jersey, Paper Planes Outfits for a year, a signed Danny Green NBA finals jersey, fishing with Peter Miller, event coordination services with SO events, a workout with Rihanna’s trainer, and a Savage X Fenty 2020 Fashion Show Experience.