Last week, we were thrilled to kick off a dialogue in the Bayview that is at the heart of what we do: actively engaging members of the community to come up with effective solutions to prevent, screen and heal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress.
On October 22, the Center for Youth Wellness welcomed the family of Henrietta Lacks, the subject of the bestselling book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” and more than 150 community members and health leaders to San Francisco City College’s Southeast Campus to discuss the role of science and medical research in the African American community.
Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cells, taken without her knowledge shortly before her death in 1951, became the first immortal human cells ever grown in a laboratory. They were key to developing the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization, and other scientific breakthroughs, and are still among the most widely used and cells in the world. Her contribution has also led to critical conversations and changes around policies concerning the rights of patients and research subjects.
“We’re here to open a community conversation about research in our community,” said Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, our founder and CEO. “We can’t just set up shop and begin doing research. It begins with this community conversation.”
Sisters Kimberley Lacks and Jeri Lacks Whye, who live in Baltimore, shared dozens of poignant family photographs as they discussed the profound impact their grandmother’s life and legacy has had on their own lives, the research community, and people around the world. The book, they pointed out, has been translated into more than 20 languages.
[For more of this story, written by Susanna Osorno-Crandall, go to http://centerforyouthwellness.org/blog/Lacks]
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