What Rebecca's Reading
- 'Serpent-Handling' West Virginia Pastor Dies From Snake Bite A “serpent-handling” West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.
- A Dispute Over Who Owns a Twitter Account Goes to Court How much is a tweet worth? And how much does a Twitter follower cost?
- A dollar badly spent: New facts on processed food in school lunches In a collaboration between The New York Times and the Investigative Fund, reporter Lucy Komisar delved into the billion-dollar business of the national school lunch program and found some unsettling news.
Archives by Date:
- July 2020
- April 2017
- January 2017
- August 2016
- December 2015
- September 2013
- June 2013
- May 2012
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
Archives by Subject:
- Animals
- Appearances
- Assistance Creatures
- Bioethics
- Book Related
- Book Reviewing
- Cervical Cancer
- Disability Rights
- Education
- From the Archives
- Genetic Privacy
- HeLa
- HeLa FAQs
- History of Science and Medicine
- Housekeeping
- HPV
- Infertility Treatments
- Media Appearances
- Media Watch
- Medicine & Health
- Neurology
- News
- Paperback Edition
- Personal
- Policy
- Politics
- Press
- Publication News and Followups
- Publishing
- Race and Medicine
- Reviews
- Science & Money
- Science Writing
- Sketchy Science
- Testimonials
- The Henrietta Lacks Foundation
- The Immortal Book Tour
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- Tips
- Toxo
- Uncategorized
- Weird Science
- Women and Science
March 8, 2011
Missouri History Museum Hosts Three-Part Discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Today is the conclusion of a dynamic three-part discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, hosted by Dr. Danielle N. Lee at the Missouri History Museum. Titled “Confronting Science: African American Perceptions of Science and Medical Research,” the series provided attendees with a unique opportunity to engage the issues of ethics and accessibility presented in The Immortal Life.
Part 1, February 8 – Ethics: Issues presented in The Immortal Life provide an introduction to the history of ethics in science research in the U.S., as well as an invitation to explore people’s prejudices and the perceptions of science, scientists, and the research community at-large.
Part 2, February 22 – Accessibility: The children and neighbors of Henrietta Lacks lacked access to quality long-term health care due not only to their economic situations but also to their poor comprehension of science and medical terminology. Such barriers to understanding still exist for many today, inviting a discussion on accessibility to science and health care – then and now.
Part 3, March 8 – Faith: Both Henrietta Lacks and her daughter, Deborah, were women of faith. Faith and religion have often been pitted against science. Moreover, faith plays a powerful role in health and healing within the African-American community, inviting an exploration of the role of faith for the subjects in the book, including the author.
Read more from Dr. Lee on her blog, Urban Science Adventures.

The Henrietta Lacks Foundation
The Henrietta Lacks Foundation strives to provide financial assistance to needy individuals who have made important contributions to scientific research without their knowledge or consent.