The Investigation into Henrietta Lacks's Legacy and Community Engagement

Key Insight

The narrator's journey to Baltimore began with attempts to meet Sonny Lacks Jr., who initially evaded contact, making five panicked calls to Pattillo before agreeing. While waiting, the narrator found herself in a downtown Holiday Inn, observing the Bromo Seltzer clock tower, and rereading a 1976 Rolling Stone article about the Lackses. An eerie realization struck when the article described the exact same scene — the Holiday Inn, the clock, the phone book — experienced by reporter Michael Rogers over two decades prior, creating a sense of being 'sucked into a Twilight Zone episode'. The narrator then attempted to call other Lackses in the phone book, but with limited success.

The search for Henrietta's story led to Courtney Speed, a local woman who owned a grocery store and founded a foundation for a Henrietta Lacks museum. Speed was described as a formidable community figure, 'tough' and capable of 'keep[ing] Turners Station in line', fearing 'no man'. Her store reflected the community's challenges, with worn floors, broken windows, and handwritten signs for local initiatives, including free GED and adult literacy classes. Speed also used her store to teach children math, rewarding correct answers with Hershey's Kisses. She had many 'spiritual sons' in addition to her six biological sons, treating them all equally.

Upon inquiring about Henrietta, Speed became cautious, asking if the narrator knew 'Mr. Cofield' or was sent by someone. She expressed reluctance to speak without the family's support, citing 'bad things' that occurred around the museum efforts, which had 'terrified Deborah'. Despite these setbacks, Speed was determined to see Henrietta's story told and mentioned 'February first is Henrietta Lacks day' in Baltimore County, with a kickoff event planned. She later provided access to a BBC documentary titled 'The Way of All Flesh', which detailed how Henrietta's cells 'transformed modern medicine', shaped 'policies of countries and of presidents', and were 'involved in the Cold War', with scientists believing they held 'the secret of how to conquer death'. The documentary's focus on Clover, Virginia, and Henrietta's cousin Fred Garret, who pondered if the cells were 'still living' in the grave versus 'in the test tubes' (a 'miracle'), shifted the narrator's focus towards finding Henrietta's family in Clover after Sonny refused further cooperation.