Join The Lacks Family as we honor her legacy through HELA100: The Henrietta Lacks Initiative by educating future generations on the impact of her HeLa cells while advancing health equity and social justice.
In loving memory of Lawrence Lacks Sr, affectionately known as “Pop-Pop,” and “Papa Lawrence”.
Lawrence peacefully transitioned on Saturday, August 26, 2023, surrounded by his family.
Lawrence, Henrietta Lacks' last living child, an influential advocate, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, partner, and friend was only 16 years old when his mother, Henrietta, suffered a rapid and painful death from metastatic cervical cancer in the "colored ward" of Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951.
Lawrence spent the last sixty-three years of his life fighting endlessly for the rightful recognition, justice, and ownership of his mother’s cell line-the HeLa cell line, but most importantly, for his family name.
Lawrence and his late wife Bobbette were dedicated to their family and their community. Lawrence and Bobbette opened businesses around their beloved community in Baltimore, Maryland, including an insurance agency, a confectionary store, and Lacks Meats Palace. Lawrence championed the passing of The Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act and was pivotal in the efforts to posthumously award Henrietta Lacks with the Congressional Gold Medal. Lawrence's efforts were recognized globally; in 2021, he accepted the World Health Organization Director-General's award posthumously to Henrietta Lacks, and in 2022, Lawrence was named a WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Cervical Cancer Elimination.
Lawrence advanced his family's HELA100: The Henrietta Lacks Initiative as an advisor, advocate, speaker, and historian whom traveled the world to share his invaluable insights with global leaders, students, researchers, and community leaders.
We honor his legacy.
On August 1, 2020, The Lacks Family launched "HELA100: Henrietta Lacks Centennial CELLebration" to honor her legacy on the occasion of Henrietta's 100th birthday!
In 2021, honoring Henrietta’s 101st birthday, The Lacks Family announced the advancement of HELA100 as the “HELA100 The Henrietta Lacks Initiative” while commemorating 70 years since her HeLa cells changed the world and her untimely death.
Since 1951, Henrietta's HeLa cells, taken without her or her family's knowledge or consent, would become responsible for some of the greatest scientific advancements of the century and continue to benefit all of humanity.
Today, The Lacks Family, invites the world to support our mission to preserve our grandmother's legacy by educating future generations on the impact of her phenomenal HeLa cells while promoting health equity
and social justice.
The Lacks Family honors Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta, was a wife and mother of 5
who unknowingly changed the world
with her immortal HeLa cells.
Henrietta Lacks is the Mother of Modern Medicine.
From polio, cancer, HIV, HPV, IVF to COVID-19,
her HeLa cells continue to impact the world.
Join The Lacks Family, experts and community leaders in educating the next generation on Henrietta Lacks' impact
- one conversation at a time.
Watch the World Health Organization (WHO) Honor Henrietta Lacks with the WHO Director-General’s award, recognizing her world-changing legacy.
HELA100 collaborated with Tech/Culture Writer x Designer Semmi W. on this first Lacks family data visual honoring Henrietta. Order your poster on the HeLa cell's impact.
Lacks Family Nurse Victoria Baptiste, BSN, RN, was humbled to be named as a 2022 BBC 100 Women in recognition of her vaccine education work.
The Lacks Family is proud to collaborate with Halifax County-South Boston NAACP Chapter to honor Henrietta Lacks in her hometown through the Henrietta Lacks Hometown Initiative.
Veronica Robinson and Victoria Baptiste, RN BSN are the first Lacks family members to publish a journal article. Read about HELA100's collaboration with the University of Bristol's Dr. Caroline McKinnon.
Building trust has never been more crucial in saving lives and advancing health innovations.
Ready to incorporate or scale deliberative community engagement techniques to
build trust to reach communities where they live, work, play, pray, and learn?
Work with the Lacks Family to apply our expertise to honor Henrietta Lacks by advancing health equity and social justice.
Copyright © 2021 CELLebrate Henrietta Lacks in partnership with The IRIS Collaborative - All Rights Reserved.