Taylor Swift admits to a fascination with the Kennedy family, and now the famous clan is honoring her with a prestigious award. The 22-year-old is being lauded by the Robert F. Kennedy Center For Justice and Human Rights with the Ripple of Hope Award for her commitment to social change.
"Taylor Swift's dedication to advocacy at such a young age continues to inspire me, and I'm delighted to honor her as one of our 2012 Ripple of Hope Award recipients," Kerry Kennedy, President of the RFK Center for Justice says in a statement (via New Straits Times). "As a young person, Taylor has already accomplished so much, and I look forward to watching all that she will do to help build a brighter, more peaceful world for us all."
The 22-year-old's numerous charitable efforts, including her disaster relief concert following Nashville's 2010 flood, her $4 million donation to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and her advocacy against bullying among the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) community all contributed to her becoming this year's recipient.
The Ripple of Hope Award, according to a spokesman for the center, "lauds leaders of the international business, entertainment, and activist communities who demonstrate commitment to social change." Previous recipients of the award include U2's lead singer, Bono, George Clooney and former Vice-President Al Gore.
Taylor, who spent the July 4 holiday with members of the Kennedy clan in Cape Cod, will receive the award on Dec. 3, at a black-tie dinner hosted by Alec Baldwin.
The country superstar, who also received the Star of Compassion Award earlier this year for her ongoing generosity, hints that she is getting ready to release a new studio album later this year. Her next scheduled appearance is at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sept. 22.
