Daily Archives: 02/22/2024
Henrietta Lacks … a story kept quiet until Rebecca Skloot
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by, Rebecca Skloot
In April 2011, I watched a C-SPAN show interviewing the author of a book about Henrietta Lacks, her name: Rebecca Skloot.
Henrietta’s story starts August 1, 1920, and her birth and life ended sometime in the early fifties, 1951. This story has just come into the light of day and while I cried again because it’s sad, and unacceptable by some, it reminds us of how life is treated when you have no or less power than the “average Joe” which is code for being white.
After having several children and years and years of reports by “the Media”, publicity, and whatnot, Henrietta’s family seems to be the only ones who didn’t benefit from the story of this woman whose cells were used to create a cell line for medical research but got nothing in return. I don’t know when everyone else heard of this story, but Oprah and some associates decided to make a movie…hopefully, some or ALL of the revenue will be given to the family. It is a story that makes you gasp, gets you upset, or mad, it will make you cry and wonder how the science community got away with not paying Henrietta Lacks and or her family for her contribution. If I understood the interviewer, Henrietta’s family has recently gotten more PR about their Mother’s story, but it’s unclear if anyone paid money for all the stories, books, and or TV programs about her. It is a story that appears to be on the surface, one of unintentional theft, that became just that, and if you are willing to dig deeper you realize it is theft and a secret kept quiet for years.
It becomes apparent her cells are used by an immoral scientist who did not tell her or her family even after it was evident that the cells were rare, viable, unusual, and priceless…worth an astronomical amount in my opinion. The fact that they were used and what effects they all would eventually have on science today, in 2011, was not evident then, but those scientists probably had some idea. I understand that back then technology may not have been as advanced, but it did advance and still is and if the reports are correct, the science community gave Henrietta nothing to her or her family for the wonderful things those rare cells she had that changed the lives of so many. It happened in a time when minorities were treated very poorly and again, even if the reports state that standard procedure was this that, and or the other, the ’70s gave way to new ways to handle science technologies; it’s time to pay Henrietta Lacks and her family back.
First posted 4/13/11
1838 – Frederick Douglass boarded a train in Maryland on his way to freedom from being a slave.
From American Slave to American Man: The Escape of Frederick Douglass
February Awareness
- February 1: National Freedom Day, National Dark Chocolate Day, National Serpent Day, National Baked Alaska Day, National Get Up Day
- February 2: Groundhog Day, National Hedgehog Day, National Tater Tot Day, National Ukulele Day
- February 3: Four Chaplains Day, National Missing Persons Day, National Carrot Cake Day, National Golden Retriever Day
- February 4: USO Day, World Cancer Day, National Homemade Soup Day
- February 5: National Weatherperson’s Day, World Nutella Day
- February 6: National Lame Duck Day, Pay a Compliment Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day
- February 7: National Send a Card to a Friend Day, Rose Day, National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, National Bubble Gum Day* (first Friday), National Wear Red Day* (first Friday), Give Kids a Smile Day* (first Friday)
- February 8: Take Your Child to the Library Day* (), National Kite Flying Day, Opera Day, Read in the Bathtub Day
- February 9, National Pizza Day, World Marriage Day* (second Sunday)
- February 10: National Umbrella Day, Teddy Day, National Clean Out Your Computer Day* (second Monday)
- February 11: National Inventors’ Day, National Make a Friend Day, National Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day, National Make a Friend Day, Get Out Your Guitar Day, International Day of Women and Girls in Science
- February 12: Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, International Darwin Day
- February 13: World Radio Day, Galentine’s Day, National Tortellini Day
- February 14: Valentine’s Day, National Organ Donor Day
- February 15: National Gumdrop Day, Susan B. Anthony Day, National Bagel Day, Singles Awareness Day
- February 16: Do a Grouch a Favor Day, National Almond Day
- February 17: Presidents’ Day* (third Monday)
- February 18: National Battery Day, National Drink Wine Day
- February 19: National Chocolate Mint Day
- February 20: National Love Your Pet Day, National Muffin Day
- February 21: International Mother Language Day, National Sticky Bun Day, National Caregivers Day* (third Friday)
- February 22: George Washington’s Birthday, Be Humble Day, World Thinking Day, National Margarita Day
- February 23: National Banana Bread Day
- February 24: National Tortilla Chip Day
- February 25: National Chocolate Covered Nut Day, Let’s All Eat Right Day, National Clam Chowder Day, National Pancake Day, World Spay Day* (last Tuesday)
- February 26: Tell a Fairy Tale Day, National Pistachio Day
- February 27: No Brainer Day, International Polar Bear Day, National Chili Day, Digital Learning Day* (last Thursday)
- February 28: National Public Sleeping Day, National Chocolate Souffle Day, National Science Day
- February 29: Leap Day (every four years), World Rare Disease Day* (either 28 or 29 depending on year)
February Weekly Holidays and Observances
- Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week (first week)
- National School Counseling Week (first week)
- National Marriage Week (7-14)
- Congenital Heart Failure Awareness Week (second week)
- International Flirting Week (second week)
- Freelance Writers Appreciation Week (second week)
- Jell-O Week (second week)
- Great American Pizza Bake (second week)
- Random Acts of Kindness Week (third week)
- Engineers Week (third week, always encompasses George Washington’s Birthday on 22)
- National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (fourth week)
February Monthly Holidays and Observances
- American Heart Month
- Black History Month
- Canned Food Month
- Dog Training Education Month
- Friendship Month
- Great American Pie Month
- Library Lovers Month
- National Bake for Family Fun Month
- National Bird Feeding Month
- National Cat Health Month
- National Cherry Month
- National Children’s Dental Health Month
- National Embroidery Month
- National Grapefruit Month
- National Hot Breakfast Month
- National Snack Food Month
- National Youth Leadership Month
- Pet Dental Health Month
- Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
*Denotes that date changes each year.
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