PGHwrites: Sarah Valentine’s “Decoding the Devil: Black Women Codebreakers and the Secret War Against Stalin’s Bomb” (Book Launch) with Tahirah J. Walker

Photo Credit: T&D Photography. Photo Courtesy: HarperCollins.

Secrecy, suppression, and moves made in silence characterized much of the Cold War. Despite this relentless obfuscation, author and translator Dr. Sarah Valentine worked tirelessly to bring one crucial story to the light: that of the Black American female cryptologists whose top-secret work led directly to the US victory over the USSR. 

“I wish Decoding the Devil was required reading…this book shows us the seams and man-making of a patriotic narrative usually sold to us as divine. Like Zora Neal Hurston loves us, Sarah Valentine loves us enough to tell the truth about our humanity inside of purposefully inhumane American institutions.” —Steven Dunn, author of Water & Power

Facing the global threat of a rising Communist world power in the aftermath of World War II, the US employed hundreds of Black Americans to speed-read Russian communications and gather essential information on the nation’s most dangerous nuclear rival. The result was the creation of a segregated civilian codebreaking unit known as the Traffic Processing Division—The Plantation. 

Despite wage discrimination, grueling hours, strict quotas, and harsh conditions, the Plantation’s 100 college-educated Black women made invaluable breakthroughs in the United States’s Soviet intelligence even as the Red Scare and the backlash against civil rights eroded their democratic freedoms at home. 

With a fresh perspective, Sarah uses Decoding the Devil to tell their remarkable story in full for the first time, paying long-overdue tribute to these little-known Black cryptologists’ critical contributions to national security during the civil rights era. 

This reading and discussion will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all attendees. 

You can purchase a copy of Sarah’s book, Decoding the Devil, at City of Asylum Bookstore.

About the Author:

Sarah Valentine, Ph.D., is a widely published author and translator. In 2013, she was a Lannan Foundation Writers Fellow and has taught literature and creative writing at Princeton, University of California–Los Angeles, University of California–Riverside, and Northwestern University. In her memoir, When I Was White, she recounts growing up in Pittsburgh as a mixed-race African American in a white family who kept her identity a closely held secret. She lives in Pittsburgh.

About the Moderator: 

Tahirah J. Walker is a writer and teacher whose work explores the intersections of Black womanhood, community, and expression. She holds a doctorate in rhetorical studies and currently serves as chair of the Department of Community Engagement and Leadership at Point Park University in downtown Pittsburgh. Her work is influenced by the brilliance and insight of Yona Harvey, Brian Broome, Deesha Philyaw, Damon Young, Tony Norman, Kendra Ross, and INEZ. Tahirah endeavors to reflect the vibrant and unapologetic voices that make Pittsburgh feel like home. She is a two-time recipient of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grant, an honor that continues to shape and support her creative projects. Tahirah cherishes her family roles, especially those of mother and partner. She believes in exercising the power of joy as resistance. Despite this fullness of heart, she is still processing the tragic day when Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour stop in Pittsburgh was canceled. She has moved forward with grace, sarcasm, and a healthy amount of self-care items from her favorite shop, Plants for Skin. Tahirah has lived in and around Pittsburgh for over 25 years.

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant, Cucina Alfabeto, is open for brunch from 9:30 to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.