https://www.ismatu.com/selected-essays-1 daily 0.75 2026-09-16 https://www.ismatu.com/selected-essays-1/youve-been-traumatized-into-hating-and-its-making-you-easier-to-oppress monthly 0.5 2026-09-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/a04f3344-beda-4833-9960-87af1120065f/morrison.+you%27ve+been+traumatized+into+hating+reading.png WRITINGS - you’ve been traumatized into hating reading (and it’s making you easier to oppress). - The point is so that it doesn't look like it's sweating, like that effort, you see? It must appear effortless! No matter what the style, it must have that. I mean, the seams can't show. The point is so that it doesn't look like it's sweating, like that effort, you see? It must appear effortless! No matter what the style, it must have that. I mean, the seams can't show. —Toni Morrison, interviewed by Jane Bakerman for Black American Literature Forum’s Summer 1978 issue https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/55a29db1-5e71-41aa-9ac2-f7e1af1cc83f/Richrad+Wright+1918195+threadings+featured.jpg WRITINGS - you’ve been traumatized into hating reading (and it’s making you easier to oppress). - Photograph from Richard Wright’s Black Power trip to Ghana, 1953. Just before the country gained their independence. from Richard Wright’s Black Power trip to Ghana, 1953. Just before the country gained their independence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/0629ff04-a149-417d-9d6b-a7e47b827cbc/ismatu+gwendolyn+media+library+patreon.png WRITINGS - you’ve been traumatized into hating reading (and it’s making you easier to oppress). - Make it stand out Free resources at patreon.com/ismatu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/cca2b7b8-6a44-4634-8319-75c690e93cd9/toni+cade+bambara+you%27ve+been+traumatized+into+hating+reading.jpeg WRITINGS - you’ve been traumatized into hating reading (and it’s making you easier to oppress). the earrings. i aspire. one of my great scholastic loves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/eaac5eed-0919-41f6-a457-ee159b9c13d7/ismatu+you%27ve+been+traumatized+into+hating+reading+.jpeg WRITINGS - you’ve been traumatized into hating reading (and it’s making you easier to oppress). - This video is on its way to two million views and I know it’s because I was crying. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/8bb9f319-3f3d-4153-a046-c1e5b6b50d40/tweet+you%27ve+been+traumatized+into+hating+readings.jpeg WRITINGS - you’ve been traumatized into hating reading (and it’s making you easier to oppress). - Make it stand out a heavy hitter in the Twitter hall of fame. 23 October 2017 https://www.ismatu.com/selected-essays-1/beauty-talk-the-jezebel-the-mammy-and-the-third-gender-of-black-woman monthly 0.5 2026-09-16 https://www.ismatu.com/selected-essays-1/drugs-are-fucking-everywhere-and-were-all-addicted-to-comfort monthly 0.5 2026-09-16 https://www.ismatu.com/selected-essays-1/bethann-hardison monthly 0.5 2024-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/821e239e-4e66-419d-af90-03d7cabd4842/film_feature_invisible+beauty.jpeg WRITINGS - There Are a Great Many Springtimes: Notes on Bethann Hardison’s Invisible Beauty https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/34f70b43-0b64-41b7-bf54-0af3772d82b0/BH_1973_The%2BBattle%2Bof%2BVersailles_1.jpeg WRITINGS - There Are a Great Many Springtimes: Notes on Bethann Hardison’s Invisible Beauty - Bethann Hardison at the infamous Battle of Versailles in 1973. Bethann Hardison at the infamous Battle of Versailles in 1973. Credits to her website. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/905862db-4516-4227-b532-8f0b9fd29edf/5-64ff47c64b40b.jpeg WRITINGS - There Are a Great Many Springtimes: Notes on Bethann Hardison’s Invisible Beauty - Black Girls Coalition, New York City, 1992. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/eb0a5a51-de74-41d0-8f9d-9df00d0bfccb/Vogue+UK+MAY+2021+1977++bethann+hardison.jpeg WRITINGS - There Are a Great Many Springtimes: Notes on Bethann Hardison’s Invisible Beauty - Bethann Hardison for Vogue UK, 2021. Shot by Sharif Hamza. Bethann Hardison for Vogue UK, 2021. Shot by Sharif Hamza. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/92c71a56-552b-4e12-9d73-ab0c8d8689bb/_KP_0086.jpg WRITINGS - There Are a Great Many Springtimes: Notes on Bethann Hardison’s Invisible Beauty - Ismatu and their mother celebrating her Master’s degree conference. May 2021. Captured by Andew Bonsu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/00b45282-08ed-4e9c-a522-d9f591cdf63a/CamScanner+09-12-2024+20.18.19_1.jpg WRITINGS - There Are a Great Many Springtimes: Notes on Bethann Hardison’s Invisible Beauty - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.ismatu.com/selected-essays-1/there-is-no-safety-in-being-beautiful monthly 0.5 2024-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/9745d204-41c3-4c24-a0f2-affbc73c7ec5/da8d2493-c5fc-400f-be0e-0fc3386afd55_2752x1888.jpeg WRITINGS - There is no safety in being Beautiful: reflections from a life spent On Display (™) - Ismatu Gwendolyn (in the red dress) walks in her first fashion show at 12 years old. She stands next to her sister (far right) and two friends. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/7fa32a05-7627-46e6-8812-db93f30ac30f/tempImagexbxrci.jpg WRITINGS - There is no safety in being Beautiful: reflections from a life spent On Display (™) - Ismatu with their mother at their delayed undergraduate graduation, 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/e27920c8-baf0-4093-94b7-577818d33c07/tempImageKloKGT.jpg WRITINGS - There is no safety in being Beautiful: reflections from a life spent On Display (™) - Ismatu Gwendolyn circa April 2022, giving very much Bratz doll. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/96dc3971-2381-4239-8098-50a5bd4c2116/tempImagekbuRlk.jpg WRITINGS - There is no safety in being Beautiful: reflections from a life spent On Display (™) - Barbie and Ken circa 1960s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/692e1fe0-6be4-4d3c-ae2e-d15984be5656/tempImagewTMzeG.jpg WRITINGS - There is no safety in being Beautiful: reflections from a life spent On Display (™) - I had to be Sandy for Thespian Week in high school and I did this outfit change at school. I never liked this movie. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/079c3de0-9554-4841-bc5f-1422799e8ee2/tempImageQt6OjB.jpg WRITINGS - There is no safety in being Beautiful: reflections from a life spent On Display (™) - If you are an aspiring Have Not, the best you can hope to end up as is The Exception. | Naomi Campbell in the 90s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/bba0d79e-e23c-499d-8c15-35b2d66a3dfb/dyqIslX-1491190304.jpeg WRITINGS - There is no safety in being Beautiful: reflections from a life spent On Display (™) - open they mouf they girl gleamin’. Come on Black girl + bright fur coat!! A quintessential combo I myself rock in real life, still to this day. https://www.ismatu.com/home daily 1.0 2025-08-19 https://www.ismatu.com/about daily 0.75 2026-04-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66cfa418c964bd2727b0a442/a539ceee-99aa-43f2-8d71-b853e959a367/tempImagexkMsFQ.jpg https://www.ismatu.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-04-13