The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks: A Discourse on Medical Capitalism, Health Equity, and Social Justice

Thursday, April 13 | 5:00pm-6:30pm | UMass Amhest, Commonwealth Honors College Events Hall | Register here

The second of two joint events—organized in collaboration between the Five College Women's Studies Research Center, the UMass School of Public Health and Health Sciences, and FCWSRC Research Associate Ruthfirst Ayande—to commemorate the life and legacy of Henrietta Lacks. The events aim to open a space for substantive discussion about medical racism and capitalism in the public health context. Dr. Sarah Berry, co-president of the Health Humanities Consortium and faculty member in English and the Public Health Pathway at Connecticut College, will present on the implications of medical capitalism and racism in the public health context, especially in regard to the historical and contemporary exploitation of Black bodies in health research. The open forum following the presentation will be moderated by Ruthfirst Ayande, a doctoral candidate at UMass in the Department of Nutrition, certificate candidate in the Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and FCWSRC Research Associate. Open to the Five College Community.