Megan Thee Stallion makes her living having a way with words and she’s got some strong ones in a New York Times opinion piece published Tuesday.
Headlined “Megan Thee Stallion: Why I Speak Up for Black Women” it lays out the rapper’s thoughts on everything from her own recent troubles to how she controls her image and the legacy of Black female elected officials, including Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
She begins her column noting that “In the weeks leading up to the election, Black women are expected once again to deliver victory for Democratic candidates.”
“We have gone from being unable to vote legally to a highly courted voting bloc – all in little more than a century,” she writes. “Despite this and 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 goes on to reference two incidents that have had her in the headlines: Her recent performance on “Saturday Night Live” and her alleged wounding at the hands of former friend, singer Tory Lanez.
Lanez was charged earlier this month with shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July after allegedly firing at her feet after she exited a vehicle the pair had been in together in a Los Angeles neighborhood.
Megan Thee Stallion wrote in her opinion piece that she and Lanez were not in a romantic relationship and that her “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,” she 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.”
CNN has reached out to Lanez for comment.
Megan Thee Stallion also wrote about anticipating criticism for her recent “SNL” musical performance in which she took the opportunity to “harshly rebuke Kentucky’s Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, for his appalling conduct in denying Breonna Taylor and her family justice” noting “There’s not much room for passionate advocacy if you are a Black woman.”
The rapper said she’s not afraid of criticism.
“We live in a country where we have the freedom to criticize elected officials. And it’s ridiculous that some people think the simple phrase “Protect Black women” is controversial,” she wrote. “We deserve to be protected as human beings. And we are entitled to our anger about a laundry list of mistreatment and neglect that we suffer.”
The opinion piece was accompanied by a stylized video in which Megan Thee Stallion talked about the ways she believes Black women are both viewed and treated.
