henrietta lacks
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Henrietta Lacks, Whose Cells Were Taken and Used in Scientific Breakthroughs, Receives Posthumous Award
While Henrietta Lacks was being treated for cervical cancer, researchers took biopsies without her consent and created the first 'immortal' cell line.
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Henrietta Lacks’ Estate Sues Company It Says Profits From Her Cells
Lacks' family is suing Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. for profiting off her cells without her consent.
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Black Doctors Release Letter Encouraging Black Families to Take COVID-19 Vaccine When It’s Safe, Avoid Gatherings During the Holidays
Last week, when discussing my hopes and goals for the next year with my mom, the necessity of a vaccine obviously came up. “Uh, I’m not taking it at first, and neither are you,” she told me. “We’re going to let them take it and see what happens”— “them” obviously meaning white folks. This attitude…
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America's Healthcare System Failed Black People. So What Does the Future Hold for Us?
Joy Altimare is a master marketer and self-described “mommy on a mission.” In her latest position at EHE Health, the company’s Chief Engagement and Brand Officer feels an incredible sense of purpose. “As a 43-year-old Black woman, I have an intimate understanding of how it feels not to be believed by your healthcare provider,” Altimare…
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Honor or Irony? Johns Hopkins University Will Name New Campus Building After Henrietta Lacks
Johns Hopkins University will pay tribute to Henrietta Lacks, the black woman whose cells have helped create life-saving vaccines and treatments, by naming a new research building after her. The university announced its decision on Saturday during its ninth annual Henrietta Lacks Memorial lecture series, reports the Washington Post. University President Ronald J. Daniels told…
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Henrietta Lacks: The Immortal Mother of Modern Medicine Will Be Honored in the Smithsonian
Here’s a fitting Mother’s Day tribute: A portrait of the woman responsible for some of the greatest research of the 20th and 21st centuries—including polio and in vitro fertilization—will now be featured in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Henrietta Lacks was a Virginia woman who was diagnosed with and died of aggressive cervical cancer in…
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The New York Times Finally Recognizes the Legacies of These World-Changing Black Women
On Women’s Day, the New York Times published an interactive collection called “Overlooked,” a series of obituaries written for notable figures who are long gone but for myriad reasons were not recognized by the Times when they died. In it, the Times acknowledges that over the years, it has repeatedly neglected to recognize notable women…
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Henrietta Lacks at Johns Hopkins, Slaves at Georgetown, and Compensating Specific Historical Wrongs
On Saturday, HBO aired its original movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an adaptation of the book of the same name. Even if you’ve never read the book (as I haven’t, but am going to) you’ve more than likely heard somebody you know talking about this book, written by Rebecca Skloot, that talks about…
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Courtney B. Vance’s Small but Mighty Role in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks premieres April 22 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO, and I’ll be tuned in because it’s that good. I’m not just saying that because I had an otherworldly experience with one of the stars of the film, Oprah Winfrey, this week. It’s honestly worth watching more than once, and…