Megan Thee Stallion has written a new op-ed for the New York Times titled “Why I Speak Up for Black Women”. In it, she writes about the importance of believing Black women, and speaks out about her own experiences following the shooting incident with Tory Lanez.

“Despite the way so many have embraced messages about racial justice this year, Black women are still constantly disrespected and disregarded in so many areas of life,” she writes.

While the article does not mention Tory Lanez by name, Megan uses her own experience to contextualise the incident in this wider struggle: “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 also explains why she initially stayed silent before she speaking out about it publicly: “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. There’s not much room for passionate advocacy if you are a Black woman.”

The article emphasises the importance of the 2020 US presidential election for Black women, with Megan calling on everyone to vote. “Black women are not naïve. We know that after the last ballot is cast and the vote is tallied, we are likely to go back to fighting for ourselves. Because at least for now, that’s all we have.”

Read the full article here.