Brief Henrietta

"Henrietta Lacks Story" by Sonia Shah

Research question: has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experiementation on African Americans? 

Summary: I went about finding another article that once again states that Henrietta never consented to having her cells being used for other purposes. But every article mentions that no consent was taken but immediately trys to cover it up with what her cells have done for science. If it was one article I would just think the author was trying to push his side while still touching upon the other side but every article seems to do it. Makes me want to know exactly what is being covered up. Shah states, "... Consent was not recieved but experimentation helped in the development of the polio vaccine, drugs for leukemia, influenza, haemophilia, and Parkinson's disease as well advancing knowledge of cancer and genetics." Why are they trying so hard to cover the fact that consent was not given? 

Shah, Sonia. "Henrietta Lack's Story." The Lancet 375 (2010): 384. Print. 

A Fresh Look at the Historical Record

"The Medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: a fresh look at the historical record" by L L Wall

Research Question:  has the history of medical science been built off the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: the article gives a different perspective on the experiments done by Dr. Sims when he discovered the vesicovaginal fistula. Walls states, "the claims against Sims are largely without merit and his original patients were willing participants in his surgical attempts.  Wall tore apart the article written by Ojanua claiming everything to be false. Ojanua claimed that eveything Sims did was unethical while Wall claims that Sims is a man to be praised. Wall states," Sim's reputation diminished considerably in the mid-twentieth century as it was assaulted by a series of strident critics who condemned him for his reputedly unethical behavior," (wall). Wall touches on three main points that were established in Ojanua's paper. The first being "it was unethical by any standard to perform experimental surgery on slaves because slaves by definition, could not have given voluntary informed consent for sugery. Second being that Sim's failure to use ether anesthesia during these operations was racist and the last being that the use of slaves for medical experiementation was unnecessary because substantial advances in medical care were made in a ethical manner." All this claims appeared in Ojanua's and Wall went about making every claim invalid. 

I love that I found this paper. It does not change my position but it did add to the other side of the story. Giving me the curiosity to search more for the truth. 

Wall, L.L. "The medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: a fresh look at the historical record." Journal of Medical Ethics 32 (2006): 346-350. Print. 

World Medical Association

"World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects"

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: This source was a not set up as article but as a list of ethical procedures that need to be taken when using human subjects. So i will about listing the most important and those that help support my argument.

• The World Medical Association binds the physicians with the words, "The health of my patients will be my first consideration."
• "A physician shall act only in the patient's interest when providing medical care which might have the effect of weakening the physical and mental condition of the patient"
• the well-being of the human subject should take precedence over the interests of science and society
• it is the duty of the physician in medical research to protect the life, health, privacy, and dignity of the human subject
• Medical research involving human subjects should be conducted only by scientifically qualified persons and under the supervision of a clinically competent medical person
• The subjects must be volunteers and informed participants in the research project

One of my sources argued that if these ethics were put into place during the time of these events then they still would have occurred. That would be making the experiments unethical either way. Because there have been so many unethical experiments, it caused the implementation of these standards. Based on these standards we have today, I believe that even though they did not exist in the past, what the subjects went through was beyond unethical. 

I am not sure how to cite this source. 

Chapter 11: Position Statement

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on foundation of unethical research/experimentation on African Americans?

1.     

    1. After reading many articles and books it has led me to believe that the history of medicine has been built on the backs of slaves. I want to argue that African Americans are the main contributors to medical science, but it is hard because not many people know that. We have all these well-known men, who have developed procedures or discovered genetics, but they did all of this using unwilling African American individuals. I also want to argue that the time frame these instances happen does make it right. Most of these event happened during antebellum South, which people argue that because the African Americans had no rights and were not even in charge of themselves they had no way of consenting. But what they fail to realize is that at this point it was not just enslaved Blacks but also free.

2.   2.  Articles:

a.       “The Use of Blacks for Medical Experimentation and Demonstration in the Old South” was an article that really helped establish my argument. This article not only described what happened to the Blacks but how they ended up in this situation emphasizing the racial attitudes of antebellum white southerners. Blacks were considered more available and more accessible in this white-dominated society: they were rendered physically visible by their skin color but were legally invisible because of their slave status. This article is making it known that blacks were used in order to fuel white physicians career. Using this source I was able to search for other events of medical research with blacks by using names, dates and places.

b.      Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present. This book is the main foundation of my research paper. This book establishes many events in which Blacks were used as test subjects going from the colonial times to present. I take what I read in the book and find other sources based on the particular events so I can get a two side perspective. I found one article based on a well-known doctor by the name of Dr. Hamilton who was mentioned in the book and multiple sources, but a source in particular titled “Doctor Thomas Hamilton: Two Views of a Gentleman of the Old South,” tried to give reasoning and cover up what actually happened. The argument was not bullet proof, the sources they used I was able to go through them and find counter arguments.

c.       “The Medical ethics of the ‘Father of Gynecology’, Dr. J Marion Sims,” is one the best sources I have found that support my argument. Here is man that is considered to have opened up so many doors within medicine and which so many people are inspired or look up to. The same man who opened up the first women’s hospital, but who used unwilling, helpless enslaved women to further his medical career. With this article I was able to find other physicians with similar stories that all support my argument that the history of science is built off the backs of blacks.

3.   3. I had read the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack and was curious to find out if there were other cases of unethical medical treatment. As I did research I discovered way more than I thought I would find. Not only did I find a few cases within the last 50 years but cases going back as far as colonial times. My purpose is to unleash the true. Uncover how these physicians became so prominent what they used and how they used it. My role when writing this article was to inform. I want others to know the history of medicine, and this has been my role since the beginning. The only thing that has changed is the time frame for which I am pulling my events in order to cushion my argument.

4.   4. I honestly feel like anyone who interested in medical history will be able to understand my perspective, but not everyone will agree. Many of these events have been uncovering are well known. It took a lot of time to find these sources, so people are not looking they will not find them.

Position Statement: Scientific Medicine has been built on the back of Blacks.

Good, the Bad and the Ugly

"HeLa cells 50 years on: the good, the bad and the ugly" by John R. Masters

Research Question: has the history of medicine been built on the foundation of unethical research/experimentation on African Americans? 

Summary: was what happened to Henrietta ethical? Some would like to argue that it was because "it was not customary the to ask for written permission to obtain such samples for research purposes, and there is no record that Henrietta consented or not to the use of her cells." Because of this dilemma a requirement today for documented patient consent for research samples has been put into place. Many would liketo cover up the main topic by pointing in a different direction. Emphasizing more on what she has done for science by always mentioning she helped create the polio vaccine and invitro fertilization but what has science done for her? The same is happening with the other cases involving those unwilling slave patients. It is not all about the science, what  needs to be realized is that there were actual people behind these experiments. Those people are not something that can buried. These operations and medications have not appeared put of thin air. 

As I continue to read I am starting to realize that medical science has been built on the backs of blacks. Without them we would not have these surgerys today that save so many peoples lives or the medications for which have been formulated to keep someone alive. Do we really thank the white physicians or the Blacks who suffered day in and day out in order to be shoved on sidelines not getting a chance to play?

Masters, John R. "HeLa cells 50 years on: the good, the bad and the ugly." Nature Review: Cancer 2 (2002): 315-319. Print 

Paying Patients

"Paying Patients for Their Tissue: The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks" by Robert D. Truog, Aaron S. Kesselheim and Steven Joffe

Research Question: has the history of medicine been built on the foundation of unethical research/experimentation of African Americans? 

Summary: within this article they state that the doctors did not ask Henrietta for consent before using her tissue for research, but at the same time they claim they never received any financial gains from the cell line. The vials were said to have been sold for 167 dollars a vial at one point. Someone was making money off of this women while her children that were left behind could not even afford health coverage. Based on this event many other cases have been investigated because physicians are getting rich off of using parts of other people. At the time even if the physicians that were working with Lack were receiving money they would not have shared. The article states "compensating such patients may have unintended consequences that could work to decrease the availability of tissue for research, and may paradoxically become a source of injustice." The biggest question that still seems to be undetermined is if consent should be a requirement whether you are making money or not. 

This article is making me question the line of ethics. Because sometimes it can be very thin when it comes to more current events. There is no doubt that in the past the line was evident and those who stepped over it did it intentionally. I need to make my mind up and stick to one side. Im leaning more towards unethical. 

Truog, Robert D., Kesselheim, Aaron S., and Joffe, Steven. "Paying Patients for Their Tissue: The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks." Science 337 (2012): 36-37. Print. 

HeLa Cell Story

"Prize for the HeLa Cell Story" by Nigel Williams

Research Question: has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/ experimentation on African Americans? 

Summary: Henrietta Lacks was dying from cervical cancer in 1951, but little did she know she would one day become one of the most important women in medicine. After her death scientists removed cells from her body and grew them in the laboratory. The cells have become known to help develop the polio vaccine, invitro fertilization techniques and the development of drugs for herpes and influenza. In in 2001 each vial of her cells were selling for $167. Lack's story has been portrayed as an example of the mistreatment of African Americans in the pursuit of medical science. The article touches upon the Tuskegee syphilis study once again. This article is trying to establish the stories that helped to change the attitudes and ethics of the medical profession. 

When reading through these articles I can find out how Blacks have contributed to medicine and its advancements, but the only stories that have been said to change ethics and procedures are the Henrietta Lack event and the Tuskegee study. I know for a fact there are more, but I just have to spend the time really searching for them. I want to find out what caused white physicians to stop using blacks. All of these articles are making me realize that maybe the history of medicine is based off the contributors being black. 

 Williams, Nigel. "Prize for the HeLa Cell Story." Current Biology 20.23. Print. 

Enslaved Infants

"I can do the child no good: Dr Sims and the Enslaved Infants of Montgomery, Alabama" by Stephen C. Kenny

Research Question: has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/ experimentation on African Americans? 

Summary: this article examines the influence of slavery and race on medical education, practice and research in the American South. The article sheds light on James Marion Sims surgical treatment  of enslaved infants suffering from trismus nascentium. Sims became a prestigious figure, but the foundation of his success relied on the use of slave bodies and enslaved patients. "These were distinctive features of the life of an ambitious medical professional in the slave south, where the profession profited from the institution of slavery, and human experimentation and medical research were advanced specifically through the exploitation of the  regions enslaved population" ( pg 1). This article was based solely on the condition now known as neonatal tetanus. The symptoms appear from three to ten days after birth and include trismus-- a spasm of the jaw muscles or lock jaw-- clenched fists, excessive flexion of the toes, strifled cry, and inability to suck. Sims would take the infants and puncture their skulls in order to alleviate the spasms, only to kill the infant. But according the Sims it was not his fault they died, it was the fact that they were Black and inferior. This did not happen once, it happened on many occasions all resulting in the same outcome. But the only thing that benefited from this painful and dreadful experience was Sims career.

After reading multiple articles Sims name appears multiple times. But most of the time it is in regards to the medical experimentation he did on those Black women with the vesico-vaginal fistula. But to find another article that shed light on another medical experiment he participated in but this time with infants this has to be deemed unethical. These were infants a few days old that had no say in whether they would wanted their heads bashed in or not. The mothers of these infants never even had a say. This man may be the Father of Gynecology, but the foundation for which his career has been built on is despicable.

Kenny, Stephen C. "I can do no Child no good: Dr. Sims and the Enslaved Infants of Montgomery, Alabama." Social History of Medicine 20.2 (2007): 223-241. Print. 

Doctors in South Carolina

"Enslaved Africans and Doctors in South Carolina" by Martia Graham Goodson

Research Question: has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans? 

Summary: for centuries Blacks have been used for medical research and experiments in order to drive white physicians career. In the South the ratio provided abundant opportunities for white physicians to become familiar with African bodies, and use those bodies in exploring the worlds 19th century medicine. The article goes about mentioning multiple doctors during this time that used African bodies to advance in medicine. Those mentioned were Francis Peyre Porcher, Julian John Chisolm and once again James Marion Sims. In medical history these men have been viewed as respective men because they are known for opening and starting medical associations and hospitals. But do we know how they got there? For these South Carolina physicians, the use and misuse of the bodies of enslaved African men, women, and children was common and socially and professionally acceptable. The author then goes to emphasize that it was Black bodies that many 19th century white American medical careers were built. The enslaved African women were distinguished contributors to the 19th century American medicine. Not only did they assist in Sims experimental surgery when others would not, but their own ill, malnourished, injured, and enslaved bodies were offered up to the advancement of science. Within this article I was able to find other things to look up in order to find other sources.

This source has surprised me because each book and article I read is a like another key each time unlocking something I had no idea was there. Making me lean more towards the fact that maybe medical science had been built off the backs of Blacks. Those who try to argue that it is not built off the backs of Blacks  do not seem to have valid reasoning besides the fact that the period was different. But the question still remains, just because the time frame was different and the rights of individuals varied does it give those the right to mutilate the bodies of Blacks?

Goodson, Martia G. "Enslaved Africans and Doctors in South Carolina." Journal of the National Medical Association 95.3 ( 2003): 225-233. Print. 

Gynaecology

"The Medical ethics of the 'Father of Gynaecology', Dr J Marion Sims" by Durrenda Ojanuga

Research Question: has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: Dr. Sims used female slaves as research subjects over a four-year period of experimentation. This paper discusses the controversy surrounding his use of powerless women and whether his actions were acceptable during that historical period. Vesico-Vaginal fistula (VVF) results in a tear from the bladder to the vagina, caused by obstructed labor. In the Antebellum South, slave-women , due to poor nutrition, lack of prenatal care, and births at an early age were at risk of VVF. Dr. Sims used slave women to develop his successful fistula operation in 1849. He has been credited with developing the medical specialty of gynaecology and is considered the father of gynaecology. Dr. Sims serves as a classic example of the evils of slavery and the misuse of human subjects for medical research. Kaiser defended Dr. Sims abuse of enslaved African-American women on the grounds that he was a man of his time and should not be judged by present-day standards. The author then goes to pinpoint particular cases during the same time period in which these physicians made leaps and bound in medicine without using human subjects. Sims manipulated the social institution of slavery to perform human experimentation, which by an standard is unacceptable. Article allowed two different perspectives based on ethics. What is considered ethical and unethical?

This article has to be one of the many articles I have read that has swayed my judgment of the topic. To believe that the man who many are inspired by and many look up too used women to advance his career unethically. He knew what he was doing because in his Biography he assumed that Black women are like cattle and can stand the pain without medications unlike white women who are fragile and delicate.

Ojanuga, Durrenda. "The Medical ethics of the 'Father of Gynaecology', Dr J Marion Sims." Journal of Medical Ethics 19 (1993): 28-31. Print.

Two Views of a Gentleman

"Doctor Thomas Hamilton: Two Views of a Gentleman of the Old South" by F. N. Boney

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: In the late 1800's there was a doctor by the name of Thomas Hamiltion who used his medical career to find a cure for sunstroke. This article gives two different perspectives of the man behind the story, giving the reader the chance to figure out which man they believed he was. In the beginning of the article the author portrays Hamilton as a southern gentleman. A man of means and a man who took advantage of those means and expanded on his education becoming a doctor. Starting a family and being just like every other white man in the south, having land and hiring slaves to cultivate the lands. Towards the end, the author gives a different perspective of Hamilton as the man who used a slave named Fed to experiment on. The Article gives a full account of Fed's encounter he wrote when he finally escaped from the clutches of Hamilton. But because Fed was a slave his story can be deemed invalid.  A slaves word against a well known White Southern physician. The article gives you a double image of Dr. Thomas Hamilton, healer and wounder, gentleman and parasite.

I found this Article using the other article titled " The Use of Blacks for Medical Experimentation and Demonstration in the Old South" which listed many physicians and events to help its argument. I used those physicians and events to find other articles which I will be writing about in future posts.

Boney, F. N. "Doctor Thomas Hamilton: Two Views of a Gentleman of the Old South." Phylon 28.3 (1967): 288-292. Print.  

Medical Experimentation and Demostration

"The Use of Blacks for Medical Experimentation and Demonstration in the Old South" by Todd L. Savitt

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: This article went through many cases involving the experimentation of Blacks in the South. Black bodies often found their way to dissecting tables, operating amphitheaters, classroom to bedside demonstrations, and experimental facilities. One event mentioned involved Dr. Thomas Hamilton, who borrowed a slave named Fed in order to test some of his medications on a human subject. He had a hole dug in the ground which he then had heated with fire to a high temperature. He had Fed sit naked on a stool in a platform placed with this oven like pit with only his head above the ground. To retain the heat Hamilton fastened wet blankets over the hole. Fed took different medications each time he entered the pit, so that Hamilton could determine which preparation best enabled the slave to withstand high temperatures. Another event involved Dr. James Marion Sims, who used slave women to find a cure for vesico-vaginal fistula. Vesico-vaginal fistula is a break in the wall separating the bladder from the vagina, which allows urine to pass involuntary to the outside from the vagina rather than from the urethra. Women suffering from the defect, usually the result of trauma during childbirth. This defect was mostly seen in African American women after childbirth because of the lack of food and shelter their bodies were not able to fully develop before they carried a child. Sims went about finding a way to surgically treat the fistula and in order to do this he used Black women to be his rats. He did surgery on them for weeks multiple times a day without anesthesia until he finally mastered the surgery. These events and many more mentioned within the article allowed me to have other topics to research in order to build upon my research question.

I found this article through Google chrome linked to the Auraria Library. I used the keywords experimentation, Black slaves which lead me to many other articles I thought I would never find. This article led to approx. 7 more articles regarding my research.


Savitt, Todd L. "The Use of Blacks for Medical Experimentation and Demonstration in the Old South." The Journal of Southern History 48.3 (1982). 331-348. Print.

Racism And Research

"Racism and Research: The Case of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study" by Allan M. Brandt

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/ experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: This article broke down every detail within the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Answering all the whys and at the same time making you question other aspects of the study in order to grasp the concept that what happened was unethical. Allan Brandt gave the argument of whether the study was ethical or unethical a different perspective. Brandt stated, " ... freedom had caused the mental, moral, and physical deterioration of the black populations," (pg. 2). Clinicians argued that the venereal disease threatened the future of the race. Most of the African Americans who were infected with Syphilis were going untreated to begin with so clinicians saw nothing wrong with withholding treatment if in the beginning they had no intention of being treated. All of this was padding their argument that the conducted study was ethical by all means. When people think of the Syphilis Study they think of the infamous study of 1932, but not many people know that a study was conducted earlier named the Olso Study of Untreated Syphilis between 1890 and 1910. the study withheld treatment from almost two thousand patients infected with syphilis. Olso had shown that untreated syphilis could lead to cardiovascular disease, insanity and premature death. Although the Olso study was called "a never to be repeated human experiment" by many physicians who worked within the Olso case, these same physicians served as expert consultants to the Tuskegee Study. This Article just gave a different perspective to the Tuskegee Study beyond what people think happened.

I found this article using Academic Premier. It took a while to find it. I had to find the best combination of databases to find the right articles, which came to the science and history databases combined.

Brandt, Allan M. "Racism and Research: The Case of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study." The Hasting Report Center 8.6 (1978): 21-29. Print.

Why African Americans?

"Why African American May Not be Participating in Clinical Trials" by Yvonne Harris et al. 

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/ experimentation on African American? 

Summary: this article was based off the results of a study done in order to take a look at why African Americans are not participating in clinical trials. But what I found within the article was the historical review which points out what has made African Americans this way. The article states, "Past medical experimentation and other practices on blacks were often brutal and unethical." Blacks filled the hospital beds to help doctors practice and perfect their craft. This is what people say when they want to justify what happened to Blacks. Many cases were mentioned in the article such as a case in Alabama of a women who had vesicovaginal fistula and was surgically practiced on without an anesthetic or consent or the slave that was kept in a pit that was heated in order to test the remedies for heatstroke. 

     But once again the one case that continues to pop up is the Tuskegee syphilis study which I want to explore, but I also want to shed light on those cases that are not as infamous as the ones I mentioned earlier.

I found this article using Google Scholar linked to Auraria Library. It is hard to find articles based on unethical medical research, so keywords are extremely important when trying to find articles. I used the key terms African Americans and research in order to find this article based on the history of African Americans.

Harris, Yvonne., Gorelick, Philip B., Samuels, Patricia., and Bempong, Isaac. “Why African Americans May Not Be Participating In Clinical Trials." Journal of the National Medical Association. 88 (2000): 630-634. Print

Henrietta Lack

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack by Rebecca Skloot

Research Question: Has the history of Medical Science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/ experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: A woman in 1950 was dying of cervical cancer. Doctors treated her but she soon died because the cancer spread to fast for the doctors to treat. After she passed doctors took tissue samples of her tumors and cultured them in a lab producing the first immortal cell line. All of this was done without her permission. Rebecca Skloot uses the book to portray how much Henrietta's cells have given to science, but yet no one knows who she was. Her cells have contributed to the invention of the polio vaccine, antibiotics for multiple infections, prescriptions for HIV and much more. Because scientist obtained the material without her permission some like to consider it unethical. 

I will be using this book as another reference to help support my research establishing that the history of medicine has been built on the back of blacks. This book is helping me establish the effects of unethical medical research on African Americans and their familes.

Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack. New York: Broadway Books, 2010. Print

Tuskegee syphilis Study

"Tuskegee Syphilis Study" by Dr. Joseph Costa

Research Question: Has the history of medical science been built in the foundation of unethical  medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

Summary: A 1932 study in Tuskegee Alabama which focused on the syphilis infections in African American men and the progression of syphilis in the men. Clinicians believed that a persons race played a part in how they were affected by syphilis. African American men were specifically used in the study, believing syphilis infections were different in the African American race than the Caucasian race. 600 men were involved within the study , 399 had the infection and the rest were given the infection. The men involved in the study were simply told they were being studied for "bad blood" and never were actually informed of their diagnosis or what specifically was being studied. Majority of the men were poor uneducated sharecroppers who in no way could of consented to the study. There have been many studies taking a look into whether or not this study is stepping on or over the line of ethical dilemma and the need for informed consent.

I used the JSTOR database using the key terms unethical medical research and majority of the articles that popped up were in regard to the syphilis study, so reading through the article I was able to find more information based on the regulations that have been put in place based off the results of the syphilis study.

Costa, Joseph. "Tuskegee Syphilis Study." April 2013: 1-16. Print.

Main Source- Foundation of my Research

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet Washington

Research Question: Has the history of medical Science been built on the foundation of unethical medical research/experimentation on African Americans?

I am using this book as a foundation to build upon. After looking through databases and trying to find other cases regarding unethical research on African Americans this one book kept showing up with really good book reviews on every topic I was looking for. So I decided to read the book and after starting it I have decided to use this book to branch off in order to find other sources regarding my research question.
Whenever I search for cases for unethical research on African Americans the Tuskegee Syphilis Study seems to be the only case that appears.
Harriet Washington reveals many more cases in history in which African Americans have been used to research science. Going all the way back to Colonial times. This book has allowed me to figure out what exactly to look for. I have found other cases such as the, 1996 jailing of poor black mothers who were unwitting research subjects or the 1998 infusion of poor black New York City boys with the Cardiotoxic drug fenfluramine.
I have been able to to find other articles based off reading this book which I will be writing about in the blog soon.

Washington, Harriet. Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present. New York: Anchor Books, 2006. Print.

Research Topic

Research topic: Henrietta Lack. The immortal life of Henrietta Lack.

I found some really good articles giving the different perspectives on the science and the life of Henrietta Lack. Before I start to dig into the articles I want to read the book based on the life of Henrietta and the science behind her cells are so important. My biology teachers said that once I read the book I will be able to get a general understanding behind the science, and then within the text I will be able to find articles and experiments written by the doctors who were involved with the Henrietta Lacks situation. The book will the basis of my paper. From the book I will be able to branch from there and find other sources that will help me argue my perspective.

Questions:
1. Who was Henrietta Lack?
2. What are HeLa cells?
3. Why are cells considered immortal?
4. Medical Benefits?
5. Ethical?
6. Family?
7. Did race play a major role?

Possible Sources for Research Question

Research Question: did slavery still exist from the Civil War to World War II after the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation?

Sources:
1. Blackmon, D. A. Slavery By Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II . (2006).
I found this amazing book consisting of narratives of slavery that persisted after the Emancipation. I was looking for a article written about post slavery and this book had amazing reviews about the life of Black Americans after the emancipation.
2. Wong, D. Emancipation an end--as well as a Beginning. 2011. 1-2.
I was trying to figure out whether blacks were aware of the fact that slavery persisted after the Emancipation, and I found this article in the Black Americans perspective.

Summary: in 1863 Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that "all persons held as slaves shall be free." Making slavery now against the law. But many will argue that ever after the Emancipation slavery still existed under the radar in order to sustain the booming economy. In the book Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II Blackmon emphasizes that if you were to ask Black Americans today when slavery ended they would state it ended when Lincoln declared the Emancipation. Many do not know that after the freeing of slaves. many free black Americans were dragged right back into slavery and sometimes the conditions were worst. Danielle Wong in her article " Emancipation end-- as well as a Beginning" goes to emphasize how the court system was manipulated in order to charge a Black American with false charges in order to get him to work for in the mines and in the fields. Did Slavery really persist past the Emancipation?

Questions:
1. Did the government in Southern States know about the reestablishment of Slavery and Remain Oblivious.
2. What are some ways in which slaves were forced back into Slavery with no way out?

Research Questions

1. Did the enslavement of slaves continue between the Civil War to World War II after the emancipation proclamation?
2. What was the scientific benefit of the immortal cells of Henrietta Lack?
3. Research something along the lines of genetics and mutations (Huntington's disease)

IDEA GENERATION (Blog Post #1)

1. One of the biggest problems facing our country is the concept of race. Whether race actually exists or is it just a socially constructed concept. Within my community the biggest problem being faced is poverty, which is something that can be viewed as a major problem within the country as well. The biggest problem people within my age group are facing is the price of going to post secondary school. This generation cannot even afford to to put a dent on their future. The next generation faces the problem of becoming too dependent on technology to complete simple daily tasks. On a daily process biggest  problem I face is trying to be a full time student plus work full time in order to pay for school. School want you to have a completely open schedule telling you it is the only way to make it in your field. Making you choose. The biggest problem my grandparents face in this country is not having to be dependent on others. Another problem being faced is within the professional field. Such as pay and availability of being able to move up in the chain.
2. I have always been interested history and one topic I would like to dig deeper into instead of scratching the surface would be to research whether slavery actually ended after emancipation proclamation and if people still think it exists today.
3. If I could only have two channels they would have to be USA and LMN. I have to have my law and order and my Sunday lifetime premieres. I the smartest show on television would have to be the history channel. The channel answers anything questions anyone has about what happened in history.
4. When I listen to the news the stories that draw me are those stories that have a story behind them. I tend to pay more attention to those stories that have action. Those stories about race, immigration, drugs, trafficking and murder etc. If the issue has to do with America itself then I am more likely to tune in, but because I am taking political science I also find myself tuning into foreign affairs.
5. If I could bring one thing to national conversation it would have to be poverty partnered with race. Because everyone knows its there and mostly involves those of color, but there are no reasons behind that concept besides the fact people are poor because they are lazy.
6. I would write a law getting rid of all the laws about race in southern states that still exist on the books, that if called for could be used. If I could change one existing law it would the drinking age. The fact you cannot drink til you are 21 is stupid when at 18 you can fight and die for this country but you are not old enough to sit down and drink. One of these laws need to change. 21 for both or 18 for both.
7. a. Over the years going to college has become a increasingly popular/trendy/omnipressent. My family and friends all thinking furthering your education is great, as do others. But I'm not sure that going to college is a really good thing, because this generation is more likely to be in poverty because jobs are declining. We are going to college to have a career and make more money like they say we will, only to find out that the 4+ years we spent in college will only land a job where we are making just enough or not enough. Leaving us teetering on the fence of poverty.
    b. When I was young, i really wanted to be a detective when I grew up. Though my interest changed, I'm still interested in criminal justice. What drew me from this profession was the gender line, which makes me ask: In a profession where physical and mental capacity is important, will woman always be viewed as less capable than men?