Black Woman Spotlight: Henrietta.

Hello blog! As you know I am on the radio right now so blog posts are little to none :(. BUT! I am working on turning my radio scripts into short blogs that you can read over. Bear with me, I know I am on episode 10 and this is only episode 2, but we have to start somewhere. Anyway! Here's the story of Henrietta Lacks:

Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Legacy of Henrietta Lacks

When you walk into a doctor’s office today, you expect honesty, transparency, and care. You’re told about your treatment plan, your questions are answered, and you leave with at least some sense of reassurance. But not long ago, the experience for Black patients in America was very different. The story of Henrietta Lacks reminds us just how much was taken — and how much was gained — without her consent.

Who Was Henrietta Lacks?

Henrietta Lacks was born Loretta Pleasant in 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia. After her mother died, she was raised in a former slave cabin by her grandfather, sharing a room with her cousin David Lacks, who later became her husband. Like much of her family, Henrietta worked in tobacco fields, but her life changed when she and David moved to Maryland, where David found work at Bethlehem Steel.

Henrietta was remembered as a devoted mother, a skilled cook, and a woman who carried herself with grace. By 1950, she had five children. But her life was cut short when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, the only hospital in her area that treated Black patients.

The Cells That Changed Everything

During her treatment in 1951, doctors took samples from Henrietta’s tumor without her knowledge or consent. Those cells, later named HeLa cells, were unlike any others scientists had ever seen. While most cells died quickly outside the body, Henrietta’s cells not only survived but multiplied indefinitely.

This discovery revolutionized medicine. HeLa cells made it possible to develop the polio vaccine, advance cancer research, study AIDS, HIV, and even contribute to the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine. Over 11,000 patents are tied to Henrietta’s cells — cells that scientists around the world still rely on today.

A Hidden History of Exploitation

For decades, the woman behind these “immortal” cells remained unknown. Researchers used pseudonyms like Helen Lane to hide her identity. Meanwhile, her family lived in poverty, unable to afford the very healthcare breakthroughs her cells helped create.

Henrietta’s story is inseparable from the broader history of medical racism. From the Tuskegee Syphilis Study to J. Marion Sims’s experiments on enslaved women, Black bodies were often exploited in the name of progress. Henrietta’s case stands out because her cells brought incalculable scientific benefit — but also because her name and story were nearly erased from history.

Reclaiming Her Legacy

It wasn’t until 2000, when writer Rebecca Skloot began investigating, that Henrietta’s life was fully uncovered. Her book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, helped bring recognition to Henrietta and her family. Since then, Henrietta has been honored with statues, memorials, and even a building at Johns Hopkins bearing her name.

Her family has also become advocates, pushing for recognition, justice, and consent in medical research. They’ve filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies that profited from HeLa cells without sharing benefits with her descendants. In Maryland, they established the Henrietta Lacks House of Healing, a nonprofit that supports community members reentering society after incarceration.

Why Henrietta’s Story Matters Today

Henrietta’s cells continue to heal, but her story also continues to challenge us. How do we celebrate the scientific miracles made possible by HeLa cells while acknowledging the injustice of how they were obtained? How do we ensure that no one else’s body is used without consent?

Her story forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: progress in science has often come at the expense of marginalized people. Yet it also gives us hope that we can reshape medical ethics, center humanity, and honor the dignity of every patient.

Henrietta Lacks was more than her cells. She was a daughter, a mother, a wife, and now, an icon of both science and justice. Her family’s fight ensures that she will never be forgotten.