When Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Normalize Sexuality

Maya L, M.A.
7 min readAug 13, 2020

Women of African Descent have faced too much scrutiny when expressing healthy sexuality.

Image Sourced from Billboard

Despite my not being a fan of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s music, I will stand behind their ability to engage in their sexuality and their freedom to express themselves creatively. Last week, the music video for “WAP” was released to some questionable resistance.

We can entertain the ideologies surrounding sexuality, femininity, and vulgarity all that we wish, but until we unpack the layers surrounding Black women, we’re never going to get to true understanding. Historically, sexuality and Black women have been public domain. Not only is a healthy sexuality natural, but it’s also a form of agency. Unfortunately, we forget the alternative that still reigns: rape culture. Recent statistics present that one in four Black girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18. Not to mention, one in five Black women are survivors of rape, but for every one rape that is reported, at least 15 Black women do not report their sexual assault experience. Even more detrimental is the looming presence of sexual assault within the LGBTQ+ community.

Not only is a healthy sexuality natural, but it’s also a form of agency.

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Maya L, M.A.

I explore the intersectionality of race and culture from a humanistic lens. Host of The Renegade Professor Podcast.