2017 Book of the Year

2017 Cuesta College Book of the Year: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"
Lacks Family In Conversation with Kim Lacks and Alfred Carter, Jr
Moderated by Matthew Davis, English Instructor
April 12, 2017 at Cuesta College CPAC

New York Times bestseller "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew. It’s a story inextricably connected to the history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we’re made of.

In this Cuesta College Book of the Year event, Kim Lacks and Alfred Carter, Jr. discuss the book, Henrietta, and the scientific and social issues surrounding their family's story. Kim Lacks, a banking representative in Baltimore, is Henrietta Lacks’ granddaughter. She has visited dozens of campuses and communities around the country, adding her own perspective on the legacy of Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cells. She is also one of the family members consulting on the highly-anticipated HBO film based on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, produced by Oprah Winfrey and Allan Ball. Alfred Carter Jr. is the son of Deborah Lacks. An ex-Marine, he’s currently the President and CEO of Henrietta Lacks House of Healing, which offers transitional housing for disabled men and women suffering from substance abuse.