Rebecca Skloot on “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2018
- democracynow.org - Extended discussion with author Rebecca Skloot, author of the best-selling book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” Johns Hopkins University announced plans this week to name a new research building after Lacks, an African-American woman who permanently changed modern medicine nearly 70 years ago when it was discovered that her cells could live forever. These “immortal cells” have helped scientists produce remedies for numerous diseases, including the first polio vaccine, that have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. But Lacks’s cells were taken without her consent when she was a patient at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in 1951.
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I hope they get the money they deserve. Her name on a building is a shameful crumb.
They named the building after her? Am I the only one thinking yeah thanks for the building but you need to give her descendants the bag
I thought that also, name the building after her AND let her family attend the University.
Oh I didn't know Lacks was an experimental scientist. She was a doctor of medicine. She devoted her life to medical research. She is black woman and hero!!! Wow please don't teach your children about racist white men...Newton Darwin Einstein Babbage Cure .....
Newton was a paranoid ponce
I understood the complexity that Rebecca was describing about renumeration.
However, I agree reparations should be given to the family. For starters, they were violated with their DNA used without consent. As was mentioned in this piece....the scientists who went to the businessman and said replicate these cells and we'll pay you clearly made money. And oh by he way, figured out a pricing structure! So start with that!!
A whole lot of evil, surrounding this story!
They never compensated her family! None of the Researchers or Pharmaceuticals!!!!!!
Nope not a penny. There’s one scene in the book where a doctor tells a Lacks family member how her mothers cells helped a lot of people. Despite that however it also mentions that the family member was in debt because he didn’t have enough money or insurance.
yeah hence the term "bio ethics". Disgusting capitalism.
The lacks family should be multi billionaires
Of course yes, they worked so hard......deserve every dime
Lacks not lax
@@frankklein4872 every dime! Absolutely
Ya betcha Frankie!
Why this unique woman was not one of the focus on Black History Month? Will definitely have this book in class and talk to the children about the importance of this amazing woman in medicine.
I'm grateful for her passion and research which has done humanity a great service by revealing some truth but I am furious about how tone-deaf this conversation is. After writing a research story like this, how can any human being still be so oblivious to the obvious evil of American racism towards black Americans. I mean the lady says "racial component" as if it's some added factor. What this story reveals is how incredibly harsh life was for black Americans. How can any person sit there and still try to tell an evil story in a positive light? The scary thing here is the writers depiction of what she was told. I hope some of her profits made from this story were given to this amazing black family.
Just amazing that this lady Henrietta Lacks story spoke to Rebecca back in High School, and this mishap of history stuck to her, so now we have this .
@@br225finest yup there should be a movie about that moment.
@@souravdspartan there is a movie
@@ange4048 not the Henrietta Lacks movie. The Rebecca skloot movie.
Maybe you should read the book. If you had watched the whole video, you will find that with the funds of the book and the movie, Rebecca started the Henrietta Lacks Foundation that has helped Henrietta's family and many others. Part of life is all about taking negative events and turning them into a positive and that is what Rebecca has been doing. ❤️❤️
My grandmother's brother was one of the Tuskegee Airmen.
At 3:51 the writer says: "they had syphilis." This is false.
The Tuskegee Airmen didn't "have" syphilis they were GIVEN syphilis by the United States government.
White supremacy as policy is an interesting cultural problem.
It's common for the descendants of white supremacist to minimize the crimes of their ancestors because of a deep guilt they feel for the victims of those crimes and because of an even deeper connection they have with their ancestors.
To whoever is monitoring this post please do not erase my comment again. When you erase my comments you are contributing to the spread of misinformation that is supported by and caters to a system of white supremacy.
Absolutely correct! They were injected with syphilis.
This is not true, the men were injected with Syphilis and they with held treatment to see what the outcome would be. Some went blind, died, and other illnesses that had to do with the disease taking over the body. This lady said they all had syphilis......she made an error in talking or she's deliberately lying like they have all through the years.
The Tuskegee Airman had nothing to do with the syphilis study. The airmen were great black pilots. The men in the syphilis study we're people from a poor black area of Alabama given syphilis on purpose without their permission so that they could study the long term effects of it on humans.
John Hopkins has now got to give the family money.
This poor woman had such a tough life. Her mother died young, she went to live with her grandad, got pregnant by her cousin at a young age, married him, baby had special needs and got sent to an asylum, got multiple STDs from her husband/cousin and died young. I hope reincarnation is real cos she needs a life do-over. Fr
Really? Perhaps without her journey as difficult as it was, humanity wouldn't be able to benefit so broadly from her cells. Perhaps you didn't mean to sound so arrogant in your assessment of her life, but you did!
@@phyllisfoster6589 Hmmm.... arrogant? My only assessment was that she had a tough life, the rest is stating facts about her life. And you're making assumptions that some genius (eventually) wouldn't have discovered the cells without any human casualties.
@@phyllisfoster6589Phyllis thanks for being sympathetic towards Henrietta Lack's story. Her grandfather Albert Lacks is my great, great grandfather brother Winston Lacks.
@barbaragilbert82 You're very welcome. We are honored and blessed by the contribution made by Miss Lacks and your elders to the whole of humankind. ❤️
@@phyllisfoster6589🌹
I love you Democracy now!!!! You covered this long before the mainstream media is doing right now
I heard about this story in undergrad school in the 90's. There is so much distrust of the medical community, they have never tried to actually help AA. This is why I will only have a Black doctor.
I don't see a time frame when this aired?
@@sabrinahoward5891 it also added more reasons why I, not black, don't trust Western medicine for the most part.
It's 2024 and I'm just learning the details of Mrs. Lacks's story. I continue to be intrigued by African Americans' contributions to science and medicine.
What about compensation for the family? A building in Henrietta's name could never be enough! I'm so mad to hear about this theft and mistreatment of her family!
I have to say this is one of my favorite books of all time. After reading this, I was so intrigued to find more information anywhere or everywhere I could. I'm still reading and watching whatever I find. Thankful, of my college literacy teacher, Mrs. Gore of Ozarka College in Melbourne Arkansas. I emailed her as well for introducing this literary non-fiction book by Rebecca Skloot.
I can hear just how much Rebecca loves the subject of her story and hear the excitement in her voice to share her story
But her voice would be even greater to fight for residual compensation owed to Ms. Lacks family. They are being denied generational wealth at the same time she is profiting off her with this book. This is exactly how slavery works. Everyone is profiting except the people that should be. Society has been conditioned to not care enough about black bodies and demand justice. Every company that uses her cells should automatically have to pay a small percentage (1%)of their profit to the family forever. That is fair.
African Americans were treated like trash.
It breaks my heart. The more you learn the more evil and sinister it gets. The torture my people went through is immeasurable ☹️😔
And we should never let evil rear it’s ugly head again
yes and to the point that I don't want to be white. I didn't know of course (before my time) - but I was raised with the ignorance.
Until I was old enough to learn the real truth, and make my own decisions, in support of BLM.
Thank you, both for covering this topic and the writing of the book looking forward to reading it from a new subscriber! 👏🏽👏🏽
All that Henrietta gave to science without her knowledge is horrific & the fact that they used her children without their knowledge is an added tragedy! Her family needs to get some compensation!!
GOD has a purpose for us all This beautiful young lady at the age of 16 years old GOD plan for the path of her life was for her at this moment in this time to bring truth ,and some peace to this family May the good Lord continue to bless you Ms Rebecca Skloot
Look at how they did to my people
See: Medical Apartheid by Harriett Washington 2007, Henrietta Lacks "HeLa cell's" are just the tip of the iceberg.
Exactly. These are some wicked people.
Thank you
Simply heartbreaking 😥😥😥😥
I’m back after the court ruling… and I’m happy to rewatch and know that they are benefiting from their mom’s contributions
very informative. Thank you, especially Rebecca, for the interest and tenacity to dive into a multi-layered story that needed to be told. I will be reading your book, too.
The cells taken from Henrietta Lacks, if brought all together today, would be larger than the Empire State building.
God put her,there for people, not for payments, l believe she would have helped anyway. Thanks to god.
@lavone…what? Her family where poor and living in East Baltimore..why would you assume she or her family wouldn’t want to be compensated
A token act does not by groceries. Did the author donate any part of her wealth to the family.
She shine a light on the Injustice, that should be enough.
If you listened to the interview you already know. Also please keep in mind Skloot was a new author who spent her own money to research this for 10 years with no idea it would net enough sales to reimburse her, much less be a best seller.
Ugh this story is so cool... I really wanna meet Rebecca some day... when I was younger (I'm 16 now) she inspired me to be a writer. Now that I'm in journalism and Biomed in highschool and I'm working on HeLa in biomed it brings me back to my dream career. Ugh I cant wait till after highschool so I can get started and one day meet her...
Start writing now. Write every day, doesn't matter what you write. There are a lot of great writing sites that can help you.
As for meeting your favorite writers, just email them, or go to a writing conference and go to a panel they're at. Don't be a weird stalker, just send an email maybe every other monthish.
Good luck, be brave, follow your heart and the only way to be awesome is to take that first step. Most of all, be kind. Big hugs! You got this! 💖
That's awesome! Are you still studying journalism?
Not too sure what you find "Cool" about this..
Would it be so "COOL" if this was your family? Get your mind and soul right
I have 2 of these books. I enjoyed reading it. Very bittersweet.
Its amazing how her children lives fell apart and they benefited off their mother’s cells and didn’t even give it a second thought about the family?? They just tested them to see what else they could find. Definitely an ( dare I say it) reparations case! We don’t have to go back as far as slavery?? Smdh
Thank you for ur great research 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
Very well done Amy Goodman / Democracy Now. This is an exceptional interview.
Thank you for doing the book I could not put it down it was sad that the story needed to be told,I would never have known thank you again for your dedication
The best read I've had in years!
Hi. That's great to know. I'm reading the book right now ( literally started tonight ) and I've found myself so emotional from chapter 1 about this woman who has given so much. I'm sure the book will explain it all but I'm here because I needed to know more.
THANK YOU
Good show to open the live youtube show today 4/17/2020 9pm ct.
😓 💔 😍 I LOVE This Interviewer, The Guess Rebecca's Honesty, & The Family of Henrietta Lacks 💔 😢 ❣️ 🤦🏾 😢
BLACK People Have Suffered Throughout History In EVERY Decade 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔 💔
what percentage of book sales go to the lack family?
Thank You Rebecca though I don't think they told you the ENTIRE Story...
Who R They?
Whatever was told is enough for a bestseller 😌
I wonder why Rebecca didn’t give the family some of her millions she made from writing the book. The foundation she set up didn’t receive any money.
This woman didn’t just write a book, she KNOWS what she wrote was history. I can’t imagine the hours and hours of research and dedication to bringing this to light. This was her predestination to uncover the truth.
During the beginning of this century (and possibly even now), UCSD had been doing something similar with its patients' placental stem cells … but in an equal-opportunity sort of way.
Sad the family has received nothing but pharmaceutical companies have profited billions. 😭
Henrietta Lacks won this week... Stay reigning Queen. 💯
Part 2: the immoral lie of Johns Hopkins Hospital
Is there any pictures of this woman in John Hopkins hospital to honor her?
The question of trust in the medical research community, and the minority community. Is not like, it hasn't been justified. These people aren't paranoid. There reluctance is warranted.
John Hopkins, can and should do more than dedicate a building, with Henrietta's name on it.
All descendants of families, that had experiments done to them; such as radiation exposure. Should be financially compensated.
Towards the end You came here in her voice that they care more about animals than Black people
Ya may hide the guilt borne by your forefathers, but lady karma, she is patient and works across generations. Better ask for forgiveness with a humble heart
This guest speaker is quite knowledgeable!
Rebecca Skloot wrote the book on the subject. Literally.
This piece is barely touching the tip of the iceberg in relating white experimentation on black bodies. The "father of gynecology", J. Martin Simms, experimented on black female slaves without anesthesia - he was a bloody monster. Dr. Charles Drew, a black doctor who invented the technique for blood transfusions bled out after a car accident because a whites-only hospital refused a blood transfusion. This piece was insensitively handled. This author did not "discover" this story, she simply relayed it to white people. Angering.
interesting - need to learn more....
This where the Nazi's got there ideas from the Americans.
They came to USA in the 1930s to learn about eugenics and took it back to Germany.
it's a good thing she did by writing the book but what she needs to do also is acknowledge the family. she probably profited hundreds and thousands and thousands of dollars off of this lady she needs to make sure her family get some of that money also meaning Henrietta Lacks is found
Thank you Rebecca. I read your book then found an email for you and asked to look into making a movie to tell the world. To my surprise this became a reality and Oprah Winfrey played Henrietta's daughter. I love the way you wrote the book. Going from her life and moving back and forth to history and legal issues, discrimination. Kept you on your toes reading it. Just a great book and now I have the DVD. Teaches a lot of history, respect for someone we will never know who saves so many people. Once again thank you. 🙂
Wow wow
HARRIETTE A WASHINGTON GAVE HER(SLOOT) TO DO HER BOOK! MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THE CREDIT!
she invented the cure for cancer
Sounds like a clean up job. Pine sol fresh
"An African-American woman who permanently changed modern medicine", lets face it Henrietta didn't do any of the changing of modern medicine (she was just the unfortunate host of cancer). Her cancer was of a type that could be kept alive in a laboratory, where scientists could study them. There's a lot of hype to this story but little substance.
Correction! The Tuskegee Airmen Didn’t have syphillis! The government gave it to Them, the interviewer gave out misinformation!
Did the family get paid? I think they are still waiting for the check.
But WHAT About Retribution For The FAMILY 🤬
Animals are not humans, what is she talking about, I hope she gave the Lacks Family some of that wealth from the book she wrote about their mother. Anyway they have hired Ben Cromp the lawyer.
I can't believe these people. If the cell came from her it's hers not there's and the recognition should be told. WTF America you have done so many terrible things to my people. You will repay for everything you have stolen
I’m still waiting for the whole truth and nothing but the truth not bits and pieces of it and you cannot hide what they did to that family by and give them a building name after a family member it sounds and looks like they are guilty of what they did
Why is Henrietta Lacks tribute to medicine and science not being taught in schools?
I am in Kenya. I have an assignment on this. That's why I am watching. I am even shocked someone like this existed
I love the way God disclose the hidden truths people think they have control of. The sea will give up the dead. Man thinks he's hidden. lol and lol again-Mighty against the Almighty. lol
I heard her cells were used to make synthetic meat. Is this true? Has anybody heard about this? Just curious.
John Hopkins specifically took henrietta's extra tissues, because they knew that she embodied something extraordinary, which was beyond her original treatment as to why she came in that institution.
At 4:14, Skloot says "why the black community doesn't 'trust science' "- more accurately, its why many in the black community don't trust white doctors. Wow - there really should have been a black person reviewing this piece prior to publication. This woman is missing so many glaring insults to the Lacks family and the black community.
At about 5:23, Skloot mentions "a lot of medical research being done" in the colored-wards... Call it what it was! Racist medical experimentation done on black people. Wow - this is a very insulting piece for the black community.
"Helen Lane" was invented when Johns Hopkins didn't want to admit that they stole Henrietta Lacks' cells - typical theft of black property. HeLa was always Henrietta Lacks. Skloot is constantly making excuses for white medical thievery of black bodies. This piece is infuriating.
I dont like her 😐 I would never trust her with my family story. They are huge users and Capitalists.
I agree Jesus Christ god❤😢😢
Capitalism gone nutty
What is a HeLa Cell
a sample of cervical cancer cells from a black woman in 1951 that are able to thrive indefinitely....
Maybe she did give consent , who knows !
Whether or not at the time no one knew how important this woman was and still is to this day and to the future !
Good luck to her family in this case and hope they get what they deserve !
Umm … she didn’t, and we know. Nice try.
She didn’t. The reason why they took her cells is because they would take the cells of many patients without their consent. When George guys wife started multiplying the cells she thought they would just die of like the others.
That's why they want our blood
How does the world benefit from cancer cells again??🤔
Does HeLa cells cure cervical cancer?
The extra healthy cells stayed alive and grew unlike other cells. They were one of the first set of cells to stay alive longer than 48 hours.
The cells of Henrietta Lacks are immortal. They never die. Thereby allowing scientists to use her living cells instead of a human body when researching every medical experiment known, such as research for cancer, growing lenses to cure blindness, the cure for polio, leukemia research, every part of the human body in which medical science continues to research and find cures for a myriad of diseases to benefit mankind as a whole, globally. Never before or since have they found cells like this. All due to one Black woman whose cells were harvested without her consent. But what else is new. The medical establishment sold her cells to researchers and scientists worldwide and have been doing so for 70 years. Trillions and Trillions have been made and her family has not been compensated. They view Black peoples bodies as their right. Last time I looked into it a person has to actually donate their body to science. This is one of the largest travesty of justice ever committed by unethical, immoral monsters. Just think of all the racists whose health has benefitted by the cells of Mrs Henrietta Lacks. NOT Hela cells. They are Mrs Henrietta Lacks cells that are used globally for the good of mankind without her consent.
@Ron Maimon by your reasoning they can take your cells at any time without asking. You can miss me with this nonsense you are spouting.
@Ron Maimon as I stated before, leave it be.
@Ron Maimon The problem is they did profit of her cells and the family got ZERO for it. So why the hell does her family has no right to any compensation
An undercover and very slow quiet genocide.
What?!
Jesus Christ this book was fucking hell in English class
Perhaps it was your mediocre mind that couldn't comprehend its contents?!
@@0230Raveena nah it was just mid bro 😭🙏
We live in a world of lies. I am so untrusting of what is taught history and facts. We have been taught by one race that is supposedly more Educated, Knowledgeable, and affluent in all things. Always researching, always agreeing and disputing, while thinking that all people agree with one or the other that is claimed as fact. That's where our country is voices coming out of silenced.
Congratulations Rebecca. You are Like mother teresa.
Henrietta was mother teresa, not this excuse of a journalist.
No these are lies. Her grandson tells another story.
Another black woman taken advantage of…..
The film could had been better , lost its way at times .
She is making excuses for the colonizers
Disgusting Disgusting Disgusting
Henrietta's part in this whole is blown out of proportion. She did NOTHING but got sick and died, period.
Yeah but her body was a miracle. Probably why you and your family are alive today.
There would be no story without HER body
Sakke … I’d be very wary of speaking like that. Karma may bite ya. Take care son
THE ETHICAL THING TO DO IS PAY THE FAMILY! First she said the the cells multiplied overnight then when asked questions about the family being compensated she said a lot of manual labor went into keeping the cells alive. Gtfoh….how much did you profit from your book and how much did you pay the family?
She made millions and she gave the family zero dollars
She needs posters and books and materials in every classroom in THE WORLD