RAY ALEXANDER born in Latvia on 12 January 1913, arrived in South African 11 November 1929. She lost her first job after taking part in an anti pass campaign. In 1941 she married Professor Jack Simons.
Ray Alexander was a staunch trade unionist and a struggle activist against apartheid. Together with Helen Joseph, Lilian Ngoyi and Florence Mkhize founded, in 1954, the Federation of South African Women – an organization fighting for the rights of women . On the 12th September 2004 she received the award of Isithwalandwe (the one who wears the plumes of the rare bird) from former president Thabo Mbeki .