Megan Thee Stallion has penned a powerful op-ed article for The New York Times about the importance of protecting Black women, her own traumatic shooting and more. In the article, the rapper reflected on the public scrutiny she faced after speaking publicly about the incident.

“I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man,” she wrote. “… 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.”

“[Violence against women] 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,” she continued. “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 Houston native referenced societal examples of institutionalized racism and sexism, such as the high mortality rates for pregnant Black women and the disproportionate amount of gun violence against transgender or gender-nonconforming Black people. Furthermore, she pointed to her own career, where she’s been continuously compared to other women in hip hop, despite being a record-breaking and highly successful rapper in her own right.

“In every industry, women are pitted against one another, but especially in hip hop, where it seems as if the male-dominated ecosystem can handle only one female rapper at a time,” she wrote in the piece. “ Countless times, people have tried to pit me against Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, two incredible entertainers and strong women. I’m not ‘the new’ anyone; we are all unique in our own ways.”

After she was shot, Megan tweeted about protecting Black women and shared the message again during her recent performance on “Saturday Night Live.” The concert also drew attention for calling out Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who announced the charges in Breonna Taylor’s case last month.

“I anticipated some backlash,” she wrote of the experience. “… But you know what? I’m 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 continued. “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.”

Read Megan’s article — where she covers body image, positive mole models, Black women in politics and more — in its entirety here. The “WAP” rhymer also recently graced TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 list and launched a college scholarship for women of color.