Monday August 7, 2023
It was recently announced that Henrietta Lacks’ descendants have settled a lawsuit against a biotech firm that profited from the use of cells taken from her body, without consent, in the 1950s. These cells turned out to be “the first immortal human cell line” and have been instrumental in medical breakthroughs ever since. The cell line was distributed and utilized for years without the knowledge of her family.
Nancy A. Hardesty Memorial Scholarship recipient, Rev. Dr. Darcy Metcalfe, wrote about the controversial situation in 2017 in an article on Christian Feminism Today. Metcalfe is an academic and former PC(USA) minister specializing in the intersection of healthcare, race, and gender.
Read about the settlement in this Axios article, “Henrietta Lacks’ estate settles lawsuit over use of her cells,” by April Rubin.
Read Rev. Dr. Metcalfe’s article, “Immortal Moral Reminders of Henrietta Lacks,” on Christian Feminsm Today.
