RUTH FIRST NEVER BACKED DOWN

A South African woman boldly spoke out.

Ruth First (1925-1982) was born in South Africa, the granddaughter of Jewish Eastern European immigrants who had experienced prejudice. From a young age, she was deeply troubled by her country’s apartheid system. In time, she met other activists, including a young Nelson Mandela, and worked tirelessly as an investigative journalist, exposing brutal conditions faced by Black workers; she also publicized the ideas of Black activists whose work was ignored. The government enacted laws to quell apartheid resistance, but she continued to work on her banned paper illegally. Eventually, Ruth became the first white woman to be arrested under the new edicts. Forced to leave South Africa upon her release, Ruth and her family moved to Britain, where she continued her activism. Thirteen years later, she became a university professor in Mozambique. Tragically, Ruth First was killed when a bomb exploded in her office. This is a warmly written account of a determined woman who is a role model for young readers and whose important work commands respect and wide recognition. The book closes with a timeline and information on Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and other leaders in the anti-apartheid movement. Ruth and family present white; friends and fellow activists are racially diverse.

A name, a life, and a cause to be long remembered.