Open to all Jefferson students, faculty, and staff. Lunch provided while supplies last.
Listening:
‘Henrietta Lacks’: A Donor’s Immortal Legacy, interview with Rebecca Skloot on Fresh Air here (2010) (audio: 37min)
Time: 37min of listening
The Health Humanities Reading Group explores the life and legacy of Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cells, taken and used without her knowledge, have played a role in modernity as we know it: from vaccines to medicine to space travel. Lacks’ story is unique but also representative of the pervasive mistreatment of Black people by institutions of medicine, science, education, and healthcare.
Special guest discussant: Ana Maria Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP, Professor and Vice Chair, Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Chief of Cancer Services, Jefferson Health New Jersey, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
This event counts as credit towards the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate and the Anti-Racism in Health Focus, a subset of the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate, which brings Jefferson students together to discuss topics at the intersection of health, race, inequity, and justice. Learn more about the Certificate here and the Focus here.
About HHRG
The Health Humanities Reading Group (HHRG) gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.
