Rihanna and TV mogul Shonda Rhimes were among the honorees at this year’s Black Girls Rock! event. Rihanna, who received Rockstar Award, earned a loud applause when she said,
“Thank you so much for celebrating us in a world that doesn’t celebrate us enough. The minute you learn to love yourself you will not want to be anybody else. 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.”
The Barbados-born singer also thanked her mother and grandmother for being strong black women and excellent role models. “Hopefully one day I’ll be raising my own little black girl who rocks,” she said.






The Friday night event was taped at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The special will air on BET on Tuesday. Check out the photos of her taking the stage to receive the award.












Backstage:



