Loudoun County Public Schools named a primary school after Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman who's had a lasting medical impact on the world.
The district gathered to honor Lacks in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Henrietta Lacks Elementary School on Tuesday. Jeri Lacks Whya became emotional hearing the young students recite her grandmother's words during the ceremony.
"To see the little people know her story and read so very well, telling her story, that’s all we want is for people to know her story," she said.
Henrietta Lacks is a Virginia native whose cells were taken without her knowledge during cancer treatment. Her cells, named the HeLa cells, became a critical tool in medical research.
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Her experience sparked necessary ethical discussions about consent in medical research.
"Henrietta’s cells have lived 70 years outside of her body and they’ll continue the next 70 or 700 years, so we think it’s very important that people understand where those cells came from," David Lacks, Henrietta Lacks's grandson, said.
Her legacy continues on with her name being on the district's first primary school where they teach students in preschool through second grade.
Leigh Boyd, the school's principal, said they are teaching their students to understand who she is, why the school is named after her and how she contributed to the world.
"We’ve talked about how Henrietta Lacks is like a honey bee as well, because she just keeps on giving just like how honeybees are," Boyd said.
The Lacks family hopes students see the name of their loved one on their school and are inspired to make a difference.
"That’s where the foundation is built, for them to start learning and reading about Henrietta and helps the legacy to continue on," Daughter-in-law Shirley Lacks said.
