Someone asked Rihanna if she was “even” an American, and her patriotic clapback was beautiful
Rihanna, like a lot of celebrities, did her civic duty during the 2018 midterm elections by making sure her 65.8 million followers knew how and when to vote. On November 6th, Rihanna shared a Shaun King post reminding her fans which 15 states let you register to vote and cast your ballot on the same day when a troll swooped in to rain on her parade.
"The most important day for the rest of your lives...all you have is right now!" she told her fans. "If you’re tired of complaining about the state of the country and government, get up and do something about it!!!"
Like most celebrity Instagram posts, the comment section was filled with well…ugh. After posting the voter registration information, someone asked Rihanna, “Are you even a US citizen? Honest curiosity,” to which Rih happily clapped back: “Nah I’m an immigrant tryna get yo country together. Did u vote?”
Rihanna is from Barbados and came to America in 2003. Although she can’t vote, she used her social media presence and influence to educate her fans about voters’ rights, spread information about voter registration deadlines, and throw her support behind candidates like Stacey Abrams from Georgia and Andrew Gillum from Florida.
"There’s no greater responsibility than being in control of your future and the future starts NOW!!" she wrote on Instagram last month. "We don’t have time, no procrastinating, don’t let the discouragement take you off coarse [sic], that’s not how my people or my generation will go down...this is the loudest way to make your voice heard!
Because she’s not technically a citizen, Rihanna could be complacent, apathetic, and silent—but instead, she is energized to rally her fellow Americans and lift up the country she calls home.
