A New Legacy for the Immortal Henrietta Lacks

Hear the NPR interview!

​Guest:
Adele Newson-Horst, PhD, Vice President of Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group, Professor of English at Morgan State University

​In February, Virginia lawmakers approved development on a cancer research and treatment center in honor of Henrietta Lacks. The center will be constructed in Halifax County, not far from where Henrietta Lacks was buried in 1951. But in a very real way, Henrietta Lacks lives on today. For around $500, you can order a vial of her living cells for research purposes. The Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group promotes the “immortal biological contributions” of Henrietta Lacks to medicine.