Rihanna made a Fenty ‘immigrant’ shirt because ‘right now, you have to be as loud as you can’

One of the pieces Rihanna included in her new Fenty line is a T-shirt featuring the word “immigrant” and showing its Latin origins. A few days ago, she and a group of female friends held the piece up for a photo that she captioned, “hey 👋🏿 @realdonaldtrump.” It was no coincidence the post landed shortly before Trump planned to conduct deportation raids across the country and as reports of the treatment of children at the U.S.-Mexico border grow more dire. “For me, it’s a prideful word,” she told The Cut at her launch party for the new line this month. “To know that you can come from humble beginnings and just take over whatever you want to, dominate at whatever you put your mind to. The world becomes your oyster, and there’s no limit. Wherever I go, except for Barbados, I’m an immigrant. I think people forget that a lot of times. I think they see Rihanna the brand. But I think it’s important for people to remember, if you love me, everyone out here is just like me. A million Rihannas out there, getting treated like dirt.” She elaborated on those thoughts backstage at the BET Awards. Speaking to The Root, the Barbadian singer/designer — who happens to be the richest female musician in the world, according to Forbes — said she feels it’s important for everyone to speak up. “I think in any situation where something as devastating as what’s happening in America right now with the immigrants you have to be as loud as you can and you have to raise as much awareness,” she said. “As a nation, put all your heads together and put your voices together and be as loud as possible because that’s the only way politicians in the government actually listen when they feel like their country is as concerned as the matter is concerning,”