Audiofile Review of “Trailblazer”

Narrator Sanya Simmons gives listeners a straightforward performance of former Secret Service Agent Cheryl Tyler’s memoir. The first Black woman to serve on a Presidential Protection Detail (PPD) in the 1990s, Simmons shares the determination, integrity, and passion that propelled her throughout her challenging career. She describes her early life–the indelible impact of “The Untouchables” television series and its influence on her career path, her years at Spelman College, and her investigations of tax fraud for the IRS. Simmons also captures the indignities Tyler faced and her ultimate triumph. Overlooked for countless promotions despite her experience, qualifications, and commendations, Tyler and a group of fellow Secret Service agents embarked on a nearly twenty-year discrimination suit that culminated in a long-awaited validating verdict.