An exhibit honoring the medical science contributions of Henrietta Lacks launches a 13-city tour that begins Monday, June 19 — “Juneteenth” — at a national summit, where more than 200 national and local civic, business, health and community leaders are setting an action plan to reduce breast cancer mortality in African-American women.
The cancer cells of Lacks, an African-American woman, were used without her knowledge or consent in countless medical and scientific breakthroughs.
The tour includes an African-American Health Equity Summit on Monday, in partnership with Susan G. Komen and Fund II Foundation. That event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Juneteenth Health Equity Celebration: “Reclaiming Our Story: An Exhibit & Conversation on Health Equity with the Lacks Family.”
Participants will include Jeri Lacks and David Lacks Jr., grandchildren of Henrietta Lacks, Texas Democratic Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson and Sheila Jackson Lee, Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and Bobby Hill of the Keystone State Boys Choir. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has also been invited.
On June 20, the African-American Health Equity Summit will be observed from 2017, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Northwest.
Participants include more than 200 community, health and business leaders from cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Memphis, Tenn., Los Angeles (representing California Coalition), St. Louis, Houston, Virginia Beach, Va., Philadelphia and D.C.
Tuesday’s event will be streamed live on Facebook beginning at 8 a.m. EDT, at www.facebook.com/events/1397892936959909.