Ruth First Never Backed Down

by Danielle Joseph, Gabhor Utomo (Illustrator)

Overview

Ruth First was born in South Africa, where her Jewish family fled from danger in Europe in the early 1900s. South Africa was a safe place for Jews, but not for Black people. Inspired by her parents’ example, a teenage Ruth started a secret book club with her friends to talk about inequality, but she knew she also had to speak out in public. In college, she protested with other students, including Nelson Mandela, and wrote stories for the newspaper about racial injustice. Although she was arrested and forced to leave her country, she continued to speak out and write about the horrors of apartheid all her life. Ruth First never backed down.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728460284
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	8 - 9 Years

About the Author

Danielle Joseph is the author of picture books and young adult novels, including the award-winning picture book I Want to Ride the Tap Tap. She was born in Cape Town, South Africa and now lives in Maryland with her family and dog Ringo. Danielle believes in the power of kindness and spreads joy wherever she can.

Gabhor Utomo was born and raised in Indonesia. He received his degree from Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He lives with his wife and twin daughters in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

2023-09-23
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. (Informational picture book. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews

"A worthy introduction to a heroic journalist and activist."―Booklist

From the Publisher