Juneteenth
Today we uplift the stories of Black Americans, and the impact they have made on our world. This Juneteenth, we share the story of Henrietta Lacks: a woman heralded for her contribution to scientific breakthrough—but whose experience reflects the systemic injustice Black Americans have experienced and continued to experience long after the end of enslavement. We honor her life by shining a light on the deep roots of medical racism, as we commit to building healthcare better and without exploitation of women like Ms. Lacks.
Ms. Lacks was a beloved mother and community member. In February of 1951, after recurrent pain and endometrial bleeding, she sought medical attention at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was placed in a segregated ward. Ms. Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and without her knowledge or consent, cells from her biopsy were sent to a research laboratory for study. Dr. George Otto Gey disregarded practices of informed consent and anonymity, experimenting on these cells without Ms. Lack’s knowledge.
Unexpectedly, these cells lived long after the typical days-long cell life period of his other samples; Ms. Lack’s cells continued not just to live, but also continued to grow. These cells, later named “HeLa cells” to mark the first two letters and last two letters of Henrietta’s name, forever changed the trajectory of biomedical research: they were used to better understand cancer, develop polio vaccines, and many more life saving scientific breakthroughs.
Despite these heroic contributions to clinical care, Ms. Lacks was never acknowledged nor compensated for her cells’ invaluable role in shaping research. Devastatingly, Ms. Lacks died of cervical cancer without knowing how her cells had been used—her family did not learn of HeLa cells and how they transformed science until over 20 years after Ms. Lacks died of the same disease for which her cells were originally biopsied. Her loved ones also learned researchers had gone as far as collecting nonconsensual genetic samples from her husband and children without properly informing them. And despite the enormous profits made by the global trade in her cells, her family never received any financial compensation.
Ms. Lack’s story reminds us how Black individuals and communities have long suffered in the name of scientific innovation. Today, Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. From myths about larger pain tolerances to the unethical use of diagnostic tissue, we continue to see anti-black racism in research and practice.
On Juneteenth we stand in solidarity with all of those whose bodies were abused in the name of progress. It is our charge to do this better, ethically, consensually, and collaboratively for the health and safety of all people at the risk to no one.
Sources:
Johns Hopkins Medicine - The Legacy of Henritetta Lacks
NIH - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
NIH - Reducing Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
Harvard - Why black women face a high risk of pregnancy complications
