It’s too early to tell how this Tory Lanez trial will turn out. It is super messy, and it feels like the whole world has an opinion on what really happened that night. I can’t front; I am curious and I have my own theory. However, what I love about Meg Thee Stallion is that she is resilient, rich, and ratchet. As a mental health advocate she knows the power of therapy, and she has the resources to work towards her healing. I honestly believe no matter what the verdict is Meg the Stallion is going to be okay.
Meg stated during her testimony things have been hard for her since that night of the incident. She is suffering from depression and her credibility has been called into question (to be fair, there were some inconsistencies in Meg’s story that night). Despite that, multiple news sources quoted hospital reports confirming Meg had bullet fragments in her foot. Still, many people claim not to believe her. During that same testimony, Meg dropped a bombshell by admitting she had been in a sexual relationship with Tory Lanez (a claim she’d previously denied). This seemed to fuel the fire online in the court of public opinion. Whether you believe Meg or not, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some irrefutable facts about intimate partner violence against black women.
What is Intimate Partner Violence?
Intimate partner violence is domestic violence inflicted by a current or former partner against the other spouse or partner. It is estimated nationally 45% of black women experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
The murder rate in black females is significantly higher than that of all the other females in the US.
When these acts of violence occur it is usually not only someone the victim knows, it is more often than not a current or former intimate partner.
For every black woman who reports rape, at least 15 black women do not report.
Researchers say lack of trust for law enforcement, the burden to be strong, and the societal pressure to protect black men play a major role in why black women chose not to report. Although she wasn’t raped, I found it interesting when Meg was asked why she lied to the police the night of the incident she stated that she was afraid, not only for her own life but Lanez life as well. Black women are often placed in an unfair position, feeling societal pressure to reinforce notions of solidarity within our community because other facets of the system are broken.
1 in 5 black women experience stalking in their lifetime.
The number might be higher. As I mentioned earlier, black women aren’t always forthcoming about the violence they experience. However, I have also heard accounts of women who have tried to report their stalkers and kidnappers and not be taken seriously. For example, there was a Missouri woman who said she was kidnapped, beaten, and raped for a month but escaped. The community had been telling the police for months there was a serial killer, but police said those claims were unfounded.
While we are all at the edge of our seats waiting for the verdict, let’s talk about ways we can prevent some of this. First, share this information with someone you love. Intimate partner violence is a public health concern these incidents have lasting and harmful effects on individuals, families, and our communities. Let’s start teaching safe and healthy relationship skills to teens and young adults. We need to continue to advocate for policies in schools and workplaces that protect and create safe and nurturing spaces.
