Black Woman Victimhood: An Intersectional Analysis of Meg Thee Stallion’s Testimony

The violent nature of Hip-Hop culture in tandem with racial injustice and sexism leaves Black women victims of Black male perpetrators feeling unheard, unprotected and conflicted. It is known that Black women are experiencing more domestic violence than their white counterparts yet reporting it less out of fear of prejudices and stereotyping. In this study, I engage in an intersectional textual analysis of rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s telling of violence enacted upon her by rapper Tory Lanez in 2020. Hip-hop concepts of violence and snitching, expectations about black womanhood, and issues of police brutality were all prominent themes of her storytelling. The analysis indicates that Black women who are domestic violence victims grapple with protecting the men of their community, protecting themselves from police, and endure doubt and criticism for speaking their truth.