Megan Thee Stallion knows what it feels like to be disrespected. This year, despite celebrating her first-ever #1 record and becoming one of the most important women in rap, the Houston-bred superstar has been doubted, slighted, and disrespected from all corners. 

After her shooting this summer, in which she named Tory Lanez as the man who fired the gun at her, her story was not believed by vast groups on the internet, who publicly joked about her trauma and sided with her shooter. Today, she pens an op-ed for the New York Times where she discussed the importance of her “Protect Black Women” message, which she also preached during her performance on Saturday Night Live.

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“I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man. After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship. Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place,” says Megan about the night that Tory allegedly shot her. “My initial silence about what happened was out of fear for myself and my friends. Even as a victim, I have been met with skepticism and judgment. 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.”

She continues by reflecting on her own experience, relating to the countless women, and especially Black women, who have suffered abuse at the hands of men.

“After a lot of self-reflection on that incident, I’ve realized that violence against women is not always connected to being in a relationship. Instead, it happens because too many men treat all women as objects, which helps them to justify inflicting abuse against us when we choose to exercise our own free will,” writes Megan.

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She explains that we place too much value on how others view us, communicating that Black women have it much worse than anybody else in America.

“The issue is even more intense for Black women, who struggle against stereotypes and are seen as angry or threatening when we try to stand up for ourselves and our sisters,” says Meg. “There’s not much room for passionate advocacy if you are a Black woman.”

This is a very important read. Take some time to check it out here.