At a Private Event Held on Friday, March 21st Brenda Tate Spoke at August Wilson House on her Recently Published Memoir Describing Life on the Hill and Overcoming Personal Hardships
Brenda’s inspirational new memoir, Journal of a Black Woman in Blue, Navigating Abuse, Addiction, Racism and Sobriety weaves a narrative of hope and perseverance for anyone who has faced life altering situations in their own lives that led them down an unintended road of emotional pain and suffering. It is a deeply personal and inspiring story of her struggle with abuse, addiction, and racism, while serving 40 years as a one of the first African American female police officer in Pittsburgh.
The evening began with a recently released video provided by PA Humanities titled Voices of History where Brenda spoke about her life on the Hill District and situations she faced serving on the police force. A discussion was then moderated by her publisher, Sharon Liotus, followed by a book signing. The invitation-only guests included lifelong friends, neighbors, city officials and the board of August Wilson. Brenda serves on the board of August Wilson. The evening concluded with a birthday celebration for Brenda, which was the same day, and a lively serenade of Happy Birthday sung by the entire audience.
Brenda spoke at the event about her early life growing up in the historic Hill District and the tight-knit African American community where she met many unusual characters that shaped her life, who she references in her book. She still resides in the Hill District in the same block she grew up in. She opens about her life as a young girl in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District, where she was a model student and athlete.
Her personal journal is a painfully honest account of the struggles she faced as a child and young woman, enduring rape, molestations, and abuse-traumas that led her on a path of self-destruction until she was able to face it head-on. She served four decades as a Pittsburgh police officer while being heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol 20 of those years.
Tate’s recovery was not easy. Still serving on the police force, she experienced humiliation when her addictions were exposed. She also faced countless temptations while going through rehabilitation. It was only through her strong faith and the support of AA that Tate finally achieved sobriety. “I surrounded myself with individuals who recognized my inner strength and who wouldn’t allow me to return to my prior life,” Tate recalls. “My message is that if I can turn my life around with the proper support, anyone else can too. It was a raw and personal decision to write this book and reveal the secrets I held deep inside for decades.”
The book follows her distinguished career in law enforcement, from entry-level police officer to post-recovery success being appointed as the only African American detective to serve on the Dignitary Protection Unit where she protected presidents, kings, queens, and dignitaries such as Rosa Parks and the Dalai Lama!
Brenda stated, “Even though it was a challenge and painful to reveal so many personal details writing this book, the more I exposed and let go, the more courageous I felt. Courage was a requirement to serve on the police force, but exposing my soul in this book took everything I had to rise to a higher level of fearlessness. My journal is meant for anyone who is struggling and who refuse to be defined by their mistakes.
