Nicki Minaj - In response to the Human Rights Foundation's call for performers to pull out of the show, Minaj said: "While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.”

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Jaden Smith - Unlike most young celebrities, this Smith celebrated his 21st birthday by giving back. He hosted a pop-up food truck that provided free vegan meals to the downtown LA homeless for the day.

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Pharrell Williams -

During his commencement speech at Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy, the musician surprised the 2019 graduating students with a guaranteed internship after their first year of college.

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Pharrell Williams - Williams has worked with various organizations to create more opportunities for students in the past, including partnering with the Verizon Foundation earlier this year to increase technology access in underserved schools. He’s also spoken at the UN and founded the From One Hand to AnOTHER foundation in 2008.

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Jay-Z -

Soon after a video surfaced of Phoenix police officers violently threatening a black family’s life for a toy stolen by a small child, the rapper announced that he and his team at Roc Nation would cover their legal support in a US$10 million lawsuit filed against the city and its police department, according to The Blast, also calling for the termination of the police officers involved.

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Jay-Z - He also helped launch the Reform Alliance, an initiative dedicated to changing the laws that rule the lives of an estimated 4.5 million Americans on parole or probation. The Avenger-like initiative is in partnership with the likes of rapper Meek Mill, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers Michael Rubin, Robert Kraft, Clara Wu Tsai, and Van Jones.

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Kim Kardashian - This Kardashian is not only concerned with getting people out of prison, but also with their reintegration into society. That's why she announced her partnership with rideshare company Lyft to give almost 5,000 former inmates free rides to job interviews.

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Kim Kardashian - She has been working closely with #Cut50 on both federal and local levels to ensure inmates will be provided housing and employment opportunities long after being released, and she's showing no signs of slowing her activism.

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Prince Harry - The British prince visited orphans in Lesotho, where he has a charity organization that helps South African children in need.

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Prince William - The Duke of Cambridge helped the army during floods at a gas station in Dachet, southern England.

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Shakira - The singer visited students at Loma del Peye in Barranquilla, Colombia. The school building was funded by Shakira's Barefoot Foundation.

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Angelina Jolie -

Angelina Jolie was appointed a Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Here, she's seen in a humanitarian mission in Lebanon, where she met with Syrian refugees.

Getty Images

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George Clooney - The actor was welcomed by senator John Kerry during a trip to South Sudan in Africa. The country's civil conflicts left more than two million children without a home.

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Madonna - The Queen of Pop gives students necklaces during a ceremony at the Raising Malawi Academy For Girls, an institution she founded in the capital Lilongwe.

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Ben Affleck - The actor is seen having fun with members of the African Children's Choir during a ONE x ONE event. The organization raises funds to help children living in poverty all around the world.

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David Beckham - The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and former soccer player visited a clinic in Cape Town, South Africa, where children and other people with HIV live.

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Elton John - The singer visited a hospital for HIV-positive children in the city of Makeyevka, Ukraine. He also founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

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Emma Watson - The actress, who is also a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, is famous for her He For She campaign. She's pictured giving a speech about women's political participation to a female crowd at the Montevideo Parliament, in Uruguay.

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Paris Hilton - The socialite visited a shelter for people who were affected by the earthquake in the city of Xochimilco, near Mexico City.

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Sean Penn - The actor and director, who is also founder of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, welcomed former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon after the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

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Leonardo DiCaprio - The actor has long been an environmental activist. He was also appointed a UN Messenger of Peace and has founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

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Valerie Trierweiler - France's former First Lady sang 'Happy Birthday' to an Indian child during a humanitarian mission to fight hunger in Mumbai, India.

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Orlando Bloom - The actor is also a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador. He visited a refugee camp in Gevgelija, Macedonia (on the border with Greece).

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Jodie Kidd, Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon and Elle Macpherson - The supermodels reunited for the Fashion For Relief event, a charity fashion show that gathered funds to help communities affected by the floods in London.

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Brad Pitt - The actor visited a shelter for families affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. Pitt promised to build 150 homes for the victims of the catastrophe.

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Oprah Winfrey - The TV host attended the first graduating ceremony at a school she founded in Johannesburg, South Africa. She handed out the diplomas at the Leadership Academy for Girls.

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Bill Clinton - The former President of the US welcomed artists Alicia Keys, Bono, and Shakira in New York to discuss ideas for his institution, the Clinton Global Initiative.

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Matt Damon - The actor, who is a usual campaigner for UNICEF, joined Haitian singer Wyclef Jean as he prepared food during a food donating event in the city of Cabaret, Haiti.

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Bono - U2's lead singer, who's been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, visited a cotton planting community in Mali.

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Brigitte Bardot - The French actress and animal activist spoke out about seal hunting in Ottawa, Canada.

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Susan Sarandon - The actress is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She visited orphans with AIDS and several UNICEF-supported centers in Tanzania, Africa.

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Mia Farrow - Mia Farrow, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, visited a shelter for victims of storms and hurricanes that affected the city of Gonaïves, Haiti.

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Bob Geldof -

The musician, who organized the biggest charity rock concert in the world (Live Aid) to help end hunger in Africa, visited orphans at a village near Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.

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Meet Hollywood's A-list activists

Rihanna joins the Stop Asian Hate march on the streets of NYC

06/04/21 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Celebrities

Graced with money, influence, and visibility, celebrities hold an immense power in today’s world. Some use that power to evade the laws of regular citizens, while others decide to use that power to help said citizens.

Many stars have partnered with organizations or have become UN Goodwill Ambassadors, but celebrities like Rihanna are taking their own stand. Most recently, the singer and entrepreneur joined the fight against anti-Asian hate crimes, which has seen a dramatic rise endangering AAPI communities in the US this past year.

Rihanna took to the streets for the #StopAsianHate march in New York City on April 4, along with her assistant Tina Truong, and many people marching alongside her didn't even recognize her as she went incognito in a dark outfit with long braids, a hat, and a black face mask. Of course, she has used her star power to elevate issues in the past, like Black Lives Matter or the farmers' protest in India, but she is no stranger to the work being done on the ground.

Everyone knows the world is in need of help, whether it’s social inequality or the impending environmental collapse. Sometimes the pressure to change the world is too much for people to think about if they’re already struggling to provide enough for themselves. That’s where the celebrity aid really shines. They fill in the gaps, often with money, but also by raising awareness and influencing the masses, so they can return a slice of their good fortune to the world.

Through humanitarian action, these A-listers bring to light serious issues such as poverty, hunger, social injustice, and natural disasters, helping thousands of vulnerable people around the world.

Click through the gallery to see a heartwarming list of celebrities who have taken a stand for the issues they care about.