*A statue of Henrietta Lacks will replace Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s monument that was pulled down in 2020 following the highly-charged racial protests triggered by George Floyd’s murder. On December 19, Artist Bryce Cobbs unveiled his life-sized design for a statue of Henrietta Lacks in Roanoke, Virginia.
“The fact that I’m involved in this project means the world,” said Cobbs excitedly at a press conference on Monday, according to WXHC. “I’m humbled to be a part of history in this way and just to be trusted with the task of making sure that I just captured Mrs. Henrietta Lacks the best way I could.”
Sculptor Larry Bechtel will use the illustration as the reference image when sculpting Lacks’ statue using bronze. The sculpture will then be placed in Henrietta Lacks Plaza on October 2023. Henrietta Lacks Plaza was formerly Lee Plaza, where the monument of Confederate General Robert E. Lee once stood.
Lacks had to die first before starting to work on significantly reshaping modern medicine. In 1951 the Roanoke, Virginia native, went to Johns Hopkins Hospital to receive treatment for cervical cancer. In the process, a gynecologist committed a good-intentioned crime: taking a sample of her cells without her consent.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: Charlene Mitchell: The FIRST Black Woman to Run for President Has Died at 92 | VIDEO
Lacks died months later. However, the cells taken from her sample continued to live. The cells, now better known as “HeLa” cells, shocked the doctors, for they would multiply every 24 hours – something the scientists hadn’t seen before.
The study of “HeLa” cells helped in medical advances, from developing polio and coronavirus vaccines to cancer and AIDS treatments, among others. Lacks’ posthumous contribution has thus saved millions of lives.
At Monday’s press conference, Lacks’ grandson Ron expressed excitement about the sculpture.
“This is very exciting and I will be looking forward to the unveiling and the finishing sculpture that will honor her forever in this beautiful city of Roanoke, where my grandmother was born,” said Ron.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
