Former three-time United States Ambassador, Pamela E. Bridgewater joined ‘Town Talk with Ted Schubel’ on NewsTalk 1230 WFVA to discourse her newly released memoir, Bridging Troubled Waters, and to invite the community to an upcoming book signing at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center on September 7.
Ambassador Bridgewater, who has served in diplomatic posts around the world, said she has been overwhelmed by the positive reception her memoir has received both locally and internationally. “It has gotten quite a lot of very positive feedback from people in the Foreign Service, people who cover international affairs, and even our local leaders and church members,” she noted.
The ambassador’s book provides readers with an inside look at her decades-long career in the U.S. Foreign Service, from the daily challenges of diplomacy to moments of real danger. “There were circumstances that were perilous, and I got through them. We’re living to tell that story today,” she told Schubel.
Ambassador Bridgewater emphasized that while the memoir tells her personal journey, it also honours the collective contributions of her colleagues across the U.S. State Department and foreign affairs agencies. “Even though this is my memoir, in a sense it’s also their story,” she said.
One of the most striking portions of the book recounts her service as the longest serving U.S. diplomat during South Africa’s transition from apartheid. Some readers, she said, have suggested the story deserves to be adapted into a film.
“Those were times that were so pregnant with possibility, but fraught with things that could have gone wrong,” Ambassador Bridgewater recalled. “The team I worked with was so committed. We had leaders, we had teamwork, and that’s what made for a successful outcome.”
In addition to sharing her story with adult readers, she hopes her memoir can inspire younger generations. “What I’d like to do is take this story into our schools and let young people have a window to the world opened to them right from this little city,” she said.
In her 34-year career, Ambassador Bridgewater received two U.S. Presidential Meritorious Service Awards and three Department of State Superior Honour Awards for her outstanding leadership, particularly in Africa and the Caribbean. The Secretary of State’s Career Achievement Award recognized her decades of service, while the Charles E. Cobb Jr. Award in 2002 honoured her trade development efforts in Benin.
Internationally, Benin awarded her the National Order of Benin; Ghana also gave her the Order of Volta National Honour, and the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award for her excellence in her role as an ambassador.
She received the Girl Scouts of Virginia Lifetime Achievement Award, the Dominion Power Strong Leaders Award, and the 100 Black Women’s Candace Award for her mentorship and advocacy for diversity. Her honorary Peace Corps Volunteer designation in Jamaica reflected her community engagement during her ambassadorship there.
The memoir was released for the first time at a book launch on July 12, 2025 at the Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), 801 Sophia Street, Fredericksburg, VA, U.S., with keynote remarks from Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
The second launch of the book was held at the Accra Ridge Church, Accra, Ghana on July 18, drawing diplomats, intellectuals, community leaders, and admirers of Ambassador Bridgewater’s exceptional 34-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service.
A third launch of the memoir was held on July 23 at the Songhai Centre, Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin, at 4pm. The memoir is available online, and you can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.
The memoir is her second book, the first book, Neutral on nothing — The Social Activism of Reverend B. H. Hester, was written about her grandfather. The beautifully illustrated book on his life as a pastor, educator, writer, and committed social activist was published in 2019, drawing on many original documents and family scrapbooks.
Ambassador Bridgewater will meet readers again at a book signing on Sunday, September 7, at 1:00 p.m. at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center, 601 Caroline Street. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of ‘Bridging Troubled Waters’ and engage with Bridgewater in an intimate setting. No registration is needed.
“It will be a great opportunity for the participants and for me to engage in what we do as diplomats,” Ambassador Bridgewater said. “I really wanted the book to inspire, to enlighten, to uplift, and to show the possibilities we all have if given an opportunity.”
Written by Oral Ofori
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
