Thanks to the recent Oprah-led HBO film, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (based off the best-selling book of the same name), the history of Lacks has been getting far more attention and deservedly so.
Lacks was an African American patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital who was diagnosed with cervical cancer. During the course of her treatment, her cells were taken without her consent to create the HeLa cell line used in research.
Johns Hopkins Hospital is in Baltimore, and now, the city is honoring Lacks with an official day.
This past September, Mayor Catherine Pugh signed a city council bill designating October 4 as Henrietta Lacks Day, according to Johns Hopkins’ newsletter. Maryland as a whole designated August 1, and Baltimore County deemed the first Saturday of every August as Henrietta Lacks Day.
“Johns Hopkins applauds efforts to raise awareness of the life and story of Henrietta Lacks,” Hopkins Medicine director of public relations and corporate communications Kim Hoppe wrote in response to Pugh’s decision. “Since 2010, Johns Hopkins has worked closely with members of the Lacks family to develop a series of programs to recognize and honor Henrietta Lacks.”
As for what the day will entail and what it means for the Lacks’ legacy, Johns Hopkins students are yet sure.
“Is the school going to do anything to celebrate the day?” asked freshman Patrick Rao. “It would be awesome if Hopkins did something every October to remember her.”
“Although this whole situation may seem in the past, in actuality its relevance remains,” noted fellow freshman Kristofer Madu. “The Johns Hopkins Hospital and community should continue to strive to right the wrongs of the past and to grow to maintain its status as an internationally respected top-tier medical institute.”
There’s definitely controversies surrounding the way Lacks has been represented, to the point where her son Lawrence Lacks announced a lawsuit against the hospital and the book’s author, Rebecca Skloot. Skloot has claimed that she obtained consent and source material from other family members.
Overall, Mayor Pugh’s office wants appropriate honor to be bestowed upon Lacks. “It is my hope that this special day will renew interest in her life and legacy,” wrote Mayor Pugh’s office in an email to the Johns Hopkins newsletter.
