Henrietta Lacks Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

Henrietta Lacks Day

WHEREAS, Henrietta Lacks was born on August 1, 1920, in Roanoke, Virginia, and spent her childhood on her family's farm in Clover, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Henrietta Lacks' formative years in rural Virginia instilled in her the values of resilience, dignity, and perseverance; and

WHEREAS, in 1941, Henrietta Lacks married David Lacks in Halifax County, establishing a family rooted in the traditions and community life of Southside Virginia before relocating to Maryland; and

WHEREAS, Henrietta Lacks was known as a loving wife and mother who enjoyed dancing, cooking, playing cards, and taking her children to visit Virginia on the weekends; and

WHEREAS, in January 1951, shortly after the birth of her fifth child, Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with an aggressive and fast-growing malignant cervical tumor; and

WHEREAS, although she underwent radiation treatment, the disease advanced rapidly, and Henrietta Lacks passed away on October 4, 1951, at the age of 31, and was interred in a family cemetery in Clover, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, more than twenty years after her death, the Lacks family was notified that tissue samples had been taken during Henrietta's treatment without her consent; and

WHEREAS, when scientists discovered that her cells were capable of continuous replication, doubling every 24 hours, they were used to pioneer unprecedented progress in biomedical research; and

WHEREAS, Henrietta Lacks' cells became known as HeLa cells and were distributed freely across the globe, contributing to major scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, genetics, fertility, virology, immunology, and the development of vaccines, including those for polio, HPV, and COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, her story is both extraordinary and deeply poignant, for while her cells changed the world, they were taken without her knowledge or consent and without compensation or acknowledgment to her or her family for many decades; and

WHEREAS, the Lacks family continues to ensure her story is told, her contributions honored, and her legacy preserved, particularly in the Commonwealth that shaped her earliest years; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Abigail D. Spanberger, Governor, do hereby recognize October 4, 2026, as Henrietta Lacks Dayin the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I call upon all Virginians to honor the life, legacy, and contributions of Henrietta Lacks; to reflect upon the ethical lessons her story imparts; and to celebrate the profound impact that a woman born in our Commonwealth has had on the health and well-being of humanity across the globe.