I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot for the first time in high school for a summer reading assignment I was rushing to complete the last week of summer break. Four years later, I chose to read this book again because I now have an interest in biochemistry, in particular a goal to study antiviral agents in the hopes of a Hepatitis B cure. This time around, I understood the significance this book had because it revealed details of the racist treatment of African Americas that are intertwined with the hidden truths and hypocritical acts of the medical system that unfortunately still exist.
On October 4, 1951 Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer at the young age of 31. Her cells were used for research at Johns Hopkins without her knowledge and her children were left in the dark about what that had happened to their mother. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon story
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It should have not at times, been consumed by Skloot consistently reminding her readers of how hard she had to work to reach the family, how many times she was ignored, and how difficult all these barriers were to finding out the truth. Rebecca Skloot is a white female author who did not go through the same struggles the Lacks family did. While she was looking for answers, she writes that the family clearly did not want to be contacted. Skloot should not have written some parts as if the family just hung up the phone because they were angry, but instead should have gone onto explain that its understandable why and the family was upset because of the unfair treatment their family has been through.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a strong illustration of the interplay between race and medicine. After reading this book, I thought that I probably owe Henrietta Lacks for my some of the medications or treatments I have received in my life. It is unfortunate that Henrietta and her family were treated