A statue dedicated to Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose “immortal cells” were taken without her consent and used for scientific research, will take the place of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in her Virginia birthplace.
The , in conjunction with the Harrison Museum of African American Culture, raised more than $160,000 in order to produce the statue of Lacks. A rough sketch of the life-size sculpture
鈥淲orking on this project was a huge honor for me. I鈥檓 grateful for the Lacks family for entrusting not only me but all the individuals involved in this project with the task of honoring the legacy of Henrietta Lacks,鈥� said Roanoke artist Bryce Cobbs. 鈥淭heir bravery, strength and willingness to give knowledge is so commendable and was a major inspiration for me along this journey.鈥�
To highlight the contribution of African Americans to society, the city also renamed the plaza where the statue will be erected, 鈥淟acks Plaza.鈥�
The plaza was once the site of a statue of Lee, which was torn down in 2020.
With the blessing of the Lacks family, Henrietta鈥檚 legacy as a key in cancer cell research history, which provided the world with decades of lifesaving medicine, will live on in her hometown of Roanoke.
Her eldest son and grandson were present at the unveiling of the sculpture rendering.
鈥淩oanoke is the first to reach out to Henrietta Lacks鈥� estate. This a big deal,鈥� said her grandson Ron Lacks.
In the 1950s, Lacks鈥� cervical cancer cells were collected at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Her cells showed that they would double every 20 to 24 hours rather than die like other collected samples.
Her 鈥渋mmortal cells鈥� were taken without her consent, and she was never informed that these cells would go on to be used in nationwide scientific research that would usher in a new wave of groundbreaking biomedical discoveries.
These 鈥淗eLa鈥� cells are still used to study the effects of toxins, drugs, hormones and viruses on the growth of cancer cells without experimenting on humans.
The statue is expected to be erected in fall of 2023.
