Posted on Friday, March 13, 2026
Westminster College will host Brenda Tate, author of the memoir “Journal of a Black Woman in Blue: Navigating Abuse, Addiction, Racism and Sobriety,” at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 23, in the Dietz Sullivan Lecture Hall in Hoyt Science Center on the College’s campus.
The presentation will include discussion of sexual abuse, assault and substance addiction that may be distressing for some audience members.
A 40-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Tate will share her story of overcoming adversity while navigating racism and sexism within the police department and confronting her own struggles with addiction.
Raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Tate writes about the challenges she faced growing up and the personal struggles that later shaped her life and career.
In her memoir, she reflects on surviving abuse, confronting addiction and working within a profession where she often faced discrimination and hostility as a Black woman in law enforcement.
Tate describes how those experiences contributed to a period of substance abuse during her time as a police officer. After reaching a breaking point, she entered rehabilitation, achieved sobriety and later became a certified counselor, working with other women in law enforcement facing similar challenges. She also founded a recovery program to support women battling addiction.
Following her recovery, Tate continued her law enforcement career and later served on protective details for visiting dignitaries, including U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as the Dalai Lama and Rosa Parks during their visits to Pittsburgh.
Since retiring from the police force in 2014, Tate has remained active in her community as an advocate and community leader.
The event is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by the Westminster College departments of history, English, sociology and criminal justice studies.
For more information, contact Dr. Angela Lahr, associate professor of history, at lahram@westminster.edu.
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By Ava Karpa
Ava Karpa is a student writer in Westminster College's Office of Marketing and Communication. The junior English major is from Coraopolis, Pa.
