Black History Month Profile: Henrietta Lacks
Throughout Black History Month, the Black Ties for Culture employee resource group (ERG) presented a series of profiles spotlighting the achievements of African American health care pioneers.
Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman who died of cancer in 1951 at age 31, was the unknowing source of one of the most immortalized cell lines in medical research.
Born in 1920 in Roanoke, VA, Lacks, a mother of five, was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD in 1951. While undergoing treatments, two tissue samples were taken from her cervix without her permission—at the time, seeking permission from patients was not required—that were given to physician and researcher George Gey. Gey observed that unlike most cancer cells, those derived from Lacks’ tissue reproduced at a very high rate and could be kept alive longer for further examination.
This cell line became known as the HeLa immortal cell line. These cells have been used in medical research and for commercial purposes in numerous fields, including cancer research, immunology and infectious disease study. They were also a key element in the creation of COVID-19 vaccines.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that Lacks’ descendants became aware of the widespread use of the HeLa cells in research. Her relatives were never compensated financially for the use of Lacks’ cells. In the 21st century, Lacks’ case became an important component in the debate surrounding informed consent from patients for the use of extracted cells in research. In 2013, the National Institutes of Health granted the Lacks family control over how data on the HeLa cell genome is used.
The book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by author Rebecca Skloot was published in 2010 and was the basis of a film of the same title released in 2017.
Event Celebrates International Women’s Day
The Women’s Empowerment Alliance (WEA) ERG joins with HM Women in Academic Medicine & Surgery (WAMS) and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association to host the “Women in Health Care Panel Discussion” on March 6 from 5 – 7 p.m. in the Fondren 100 conference room at HMH. The event, part of the celebration of International Women’s Day, observed on March 8, benefits the non-profit Dress for Success organization. The panelists will be Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM, executive VP and chief physician executive, CEO, HMPO, Arianne Dowdell, vice president and chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer, Dr. Nicole Twine. WEA Chair Maime Ballard will be the moderator. Donation boxes will be placed at each HM campus a week prior to the event for the collection of gently used professional attire and new, unused scrubs, that will be donated to Dress for Success. For information, contact womenesempowermentalliance@houstonmethodist.org.
DEI Quarterly Newsletter
If you missed the DEI Quarterly Newsletter when it was distributed systemwide on Feb. 21, you may review your Outlook inbox to access it. The Q1 2024 edition features a spotlight on the Veterans Alliance employee resource group (ERG), an update on the third year of the Summer Scholars Program administered by the Office of DEI that begins in May, a look at upcoming interfaith holidays and cultural observances and much more.
Cultural Observances
Women’s History Month
Greek American Heritage Month
Irish American Heritage Month
National Disability Employment Month
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
International Women’s Day (Mar. 8)
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Mar. 21)
Neurodiversity Celebration Week (Mar. 18–24)
LGBTQ Health Week (Mar. 24–29)
Interfaith Holidays
Purim Mar. 23–24
Holi Mar. 25
Nowruz Mar. 20
Ramadan Mar. 10–April 8
Incarnation Mar. 25
Easter Mar. 31
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