Statue honours Black woman whose contribution changed course of modern medicine

The inscription on the statue of Henrietta Lacks reads “To all the unrecognised Black women who have contributed to humanity, you will never be forgotten”.

An emotional ceremony to unveil the new sculpture of a woman whose cells changed the course of modern medicine follows a 20-year quest by artist Helen Wilson-Roe to have Henrietta’s legacy recognised and immortalised.

The life-size bronze statue is the first public statue of a Black woman made by a Black woman to be permanently installed in the UK.

It was unveiled by members of Henrietta’s family in the University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens on Monday afternoon as a lasting reminder of Henrietta’s contribution to medical advances that are still in use today.

“Henrietta is one of the most significant women in the world, we should be forever grateful and acknowledge her and the contribution her cells have made to global health,” said Helen, taking to the podium just after the statue was unveiled.

“I hope you can see the passion, strength and power when you look at my interpretation of Henrietta.

“It’s timely that today 70 years on, we stand side by side with her family to celebrate Henrietta Lacks and remember she was more than a cell.”

Henrietta Lacks was a young American wife and mother who died in 1951 of an unusually aggressive form of cervical cancer.

During surgery, a sample of cells was taken from the tumour and was sent to a laboratory where they were found to be the first living human cells ever to survive and multiply outside the human body.

They formed the first scientifically defined ‘immortal’ human cell line, opening the door to all kinds of experiments and research on cell behaviour, making possible some of the most important medical advances of all time, including the development of the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, gene-mapping, IVF and cloning.

Henrietta’s cells were taken without her or her family’s knowledge or consent, and it was only in 1975 that by chance the family found out about her legacy.

The life-size bronze statue of  Henrietta Lacks is the first public statue of a Black woman made by a Black woman to be permanently installed in the UK – photo by Ellie Pipe

Helen said: “As a child growing up in Bristol there were no statues of Black women that I could identify with. So, knowing that my children and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to see Henrietta’s statue, is just fantastic, especially at this time when Bristol is starting to address its past.

“I have been researching about Henrietta Lacks independently for over 20 years. My mission now is to finish painting all 24 portraits of the Lacks family and gift the portraits to the family so that they retain full control of their legacy.”

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Read more: Bristol Uni commissions UK’s first public sculpture of a Black woman made by a Black woman 

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Henrietta’s son Lawrence Lacks, who was 17 when his mum died, travelled from the USA with other members of the family to be at the unveiling of the statue.

Jeri Lacks-Whye, Henrietta’s granddaughter, said: “As the world commemorates 70 years since Henrietta Lacks’ HeLa cells changed the world, we also reflect on my grandmother’s untimely passing.

“It is only fitting that she be memorialised to educate future generations on her legacy and the importance of advancing health equity and social justice for all.”

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees and Cleo Lake, a former lord mayor and campaigner, were among those to speak at the ceremony.

Helen’s portraits of Henrietta Lacks and Cleo Lake have been on display in the Wills Memorial Building since October 2020.

Henrietta Lacks’ family travelled from America to unveil the statue in her honour – photo by Ellie Pipe

The inscription on the sculpture reads “To all the unrecognised Black women who have contributed to humanity, you will never be forgotten” – photo by Ellie Pipe

Main photo by Ellie Pipe

Read more: Blue plaque to commemorate Suffragette who confronted Churchill in Bristol 

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