Megan Thee Stallion
penned a moving essay for The New York Times on Tuesday. The popular entertainer and philanthropist addressed a plethora of topics surrounding the innumerable ways that Black women are disrespected and unprotected.
The op-ed titled “Why I Speak Up for Black Women” highlighted a specific and ongoing theme for Megan since she was allegedly shot over the summer.
She began the piece by detailing the vital role Black women are predicted to play with choosing this nation’s next leader in the upcoming presidential election — a burden often placed on Black women with no reward.
“In the weeks leading up to the election, Black women are expected once again to deliver victory for Democratic candidates,” the dynamic emcee wrote. “We have gone from being unable to vote legally to a highly courted voting bloc — all in little more than a century.”
The essay took a personal turn when the “Savage” rapper wrote about the impact of violence against Black women, including that which she's personally experienced.
Megan, was allegedly shot by Canadian rapper Tory Lanez this past July. She shared that she chose to remain silent about the incident because she feared for her and her friends’ safety. After getting over the initial shock, she grappled with the skepticism she received when she disclosed what happened that night.
“Even as a victim, I have been met with skepticism and judgment," the 25-year-old wrote. "The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I played a role in my own violent assault proves that my fears about discussing what happened were, unfortunately, warranted.”
As she reflected on the pain and abuse to which Black women are subjected, Meg also opined how Black women are thrown away and ignored.
“From the moment we begin to navigate the intricacies of adolescence, we feel the weight of this threat, and the weight of contradictory expectations and misguided preconceptions,” she continued. “Many of us begin to put too much value to how we are seen by others. That’s if– we are seen at all.”
She noted the controversy that surrounded her recent performance on Saturday Night Live, which she used to call out Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his failure to bring justice to the officers who killed Breonna Taylor.
Megan defended her choice to advocate for Black women and said she wasn’t afraid of criticism.
“It’s ridiculous that some people think the simple phrase ‘Protect Black women’ is controversial. We deserve to be protected as human beings,” she added. “And we are entitled to our anger about a laundry list of mistreatment and neglect that we suffer.”
Megan’s choice to uplift and speak up for Black women is evident in her work. The rapper, who's been dubbed Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2020” launched a $10,000 scholarship last week for women of color.
