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A review by blazekcurrie
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
5.0
“Black scientists and technicians, many of them women, used cells from a black woman to help save the lives of millions of Americans, most of them white. And they did so on the same campus - and at the very same time - that state officials were conducting the infamous Tuskegee syphilis studies.” — New York Times
The black woman was Henrietta Lacks. Remember her name, and encourage others to read this book with you.
At a time when active debate was ongoing about the “equality” of African Americans, and in a society where Henrietta Lacks had to be treated in the “negro” side of the hospital, as to not contaminate that ward designated for whites, a plan was in place to cultivate her cells. Those cells would be used to create vaccines for millions of Americans.
There is something special about this story. About how human we all are. About the families we leave behind. About how we are all the same - down to our microscopic cells. About how a poor female tobacco farmer could advance medical science beyond comprehension. About how that science was founded on eugenics and had its own strange, racist history. And about how Henrietta Lacks could be so easily forgotten because of her class and position in society.
Well written and powerful, this story is worth reading and discussing. I applaud the human touch of the author, Rebecca Skloot.
The black woman was Henrietta Lacks. Remember her name, and encourage others to read this book with you.
At a time when active debate was ongoing about the “equality” of African Americans, and in a society where Henrietta Lacks had to be treated in the “negro” side of the hospital, as to not contaminate that ward designated for whites, a plan was in place to cultivate her cells. Those cells would be used to create vaccines for millions of Americans.
There is something special about this story. About how human we all are. About the families we leave behind. About how we are all the same - down to our microscopic cells. About how a poor female tobacco farmer could advance medical science beyond comprehension. About how that science was founded on eugenics and had its own strange, racist history. And about how Henrietta Lacks could be so easily forgotten because of her class and position in society.
Well written and powerful, this story is worth reading and discussing. I applaud the human touch of the author, Rebecca Skloot.