by Shawn Nowlin
The bronze bust of Henrietta Lacks, an often overlooked historical figure with arguably the most important cell lines in medical research history, was unveiled in downtown Roanoke Wednesday, Oct. 4, 72 years to the date of her passing.
Unveiled by Roanoke Hidden Histories, the Harrison Museum of African American Culture and the City of Roanoke, present among the estimated 650 gathered people were local leaders, members of the Lacks’ family, the artists who worked on the project and many others.
The celebratory ceremony began with a speech from councilmember Trish White-Boyd, someone who was vital in the statue becoming a reality. “So many other folks also helped make this happen,” she said before giving special thanks to Douglas Jackson, Dr. N.L. Bishop, Suzanne Thorniley, Jordan Bell, Dr. David Trinkle and Anita Price.
“Right when we announced the project, we had to deal with COVID. Here we are today though bearing witness to history,” she added.
Minutes later, Lacks’ grandson, Ron, said to all in attendance, “I am so honored to be here. This is a journey we embarked on with joy in our hearts, knowing that we are making a difference and honoring our beloved grandmother.”
A fund drive spearheaded by White-Boyd raised approximately $200,000 to commission artist Bryce Cobbs and sculptor Lawrence Bechtel, a former Virginia Tech English Professor, for the statue. “I had just two surviving pictures of Mrs. Lacks to work with. To see it finished after all the hard work that went into it is a really humbling feeling. Larry absolutely knocked it out of the park with the sculpture,” Cobbs said.
Known as the Mother of Modern Medicine, Lacks’ role in the advancement in the field is both unique and comprehensive.
Born in the Star City on Aug. 1, 1920, when Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she was 30 and living in Baltimore, MD. Her cells eventually became the source of the first immortalized human cell line, known today as HeLa. Since 1953, more than 110,000 scientific publications have cited the use of HeLa.
“Our project, Hidden in Plain Site (HIPS), is basically a platform that tells the stories of Black narratives that have been hidden throughout our history. Sites you walk by every day not knowing the historical context. You can experience this on our website, on your phone or in the virtual reality standpoint,” HIPS Founder Dontrese Brown said.
Lawyer Ben Crump, often referred to as Black America’s Attorney General, who has represented the Lacks family for years, said during the ceremony, “This family continues to tell people that she was not illiterate, not inferior nor insignificant. In fact, when you think about the great contributions she gave the world, she is probably one of the most significant human beings that has ever lived.”
Said an emotional Marcus Henson who attended the gathering with his wife and two children, “It is crazy to think that just three years ago, a Confederate General Robert E. Lee monument stood in this place. I knew that this moment was going to happen, but when it finally did, I still broke down in tears. This is a day I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Other statues of different sizes were also unveiled at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Carilion Clinic and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute throughout the day.
“It’s only fitting that this downtown statue finds its rightful home in the city where Henrietta Lacks began her too short, yet extraordinarily, life here in Roanoke. Let us all draw strength from her story,” Mayor Sherman Lea Sr. said.
