It was Ruth First’s absolute dedication to her belief that she had to change things in South Africa that appealed to writer Danielle Joseph – and it was that appeal that has resulted in the publication of a picture book about Ruth First’s life, Ruth First Never Backed Down.
Danielle, an American born in South Africa, recently visited Cape Town and stopped off at the Jacob Gitlin Library to donate some copies of the book. She marvels at how wonderful Cape Town is, commenting, “There really is no place like Cape Town – the ocean, the mountains, the music, art and food, and the incredible people that live here.”
Danielle’s ties with Cape Town run deep. Her maternal grandparents, Archie and Gladys Leibowitz, owned the well-known uniform shop in District Six called Wayniks. The family had a long history of association with the Gardens Shul, where her parents, Rodney and Sharon Cohen, had their wedding. On her father’s side, she has an uncle, Dr Laurence Cohen, who has practised in Constantia for many years as a medical doctor. Her paternal grandparents were Kenneth and Billie Cohen.
An established children’s book author, Danielle explains that, “I have always wanted to write a story that takes place in South Africa and, while I was doing some research for a historical project, I came across an article that mentioned Ruth First. The more I read about her, the more fascinated with her story I became. She never took no for an answer and forged ahead, exposing the truth every step of the way.”
Fighting the evils of the apartheid system has been a significant element of Danielle’s life. “I left Cape Town when I was small but returned to visit every year and had many questions for my parents and grandparents about apartheid. Seeing the inequality had a profound effect on me to be a part of the change,” she says. In addition, she credits the influence of her aunt, Dr Brenda Leibowitz, an academic who fought for equality in education in South Africa, for shaping her mindset.
As regards future projects, Danielle has just finished a picture book manuscript based on her family’s journey from Lithuania to Cape Town. She also has another work in progress for older readers about a teen immigrating from Cape Town to America: what it’s like to straddle two countries, trying to assimilate, but not forget your roots. “South Africa has such a rich history and there is so much that I want to share with readers, including more biographies on incredible South Africans,” she concludes.

More about the book
This is a picture book, suitable for children aged 7 to 11. It is a good book for reading as a group because there is so much to discuss about Ruth First and apartheid. A free teacher’s guide is available on the publisher’s website – www.karben.com.
Danielle explains that most Americans know very little about the apartheid system and the struggle against it. The book includes a timeline relating to the history of the system, as well as references to other anti-apartheid figures, which are all geared to provide a more in-depth picture of the system that plagued our country for so long. Ultimately, her goal is to educate children about bad systems and about having the courage to take a stand.
Where to get the book?
You can borrow it from the Jacob Gitlin Library, or purchase a copy on an online book store such as Amazon.
To learn more about Danielle and her other books, you can visit her website. www.daniellejoseph.com.
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