Henrietta Lacks, the Black woman whose cells helped create major medical breakthroughs when scientists used them for research without her permission in the 1950s, will be honored with a bronze statue in her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. During a ceremony on Monday, artist Bryce Cobbs shared a life-size preliminary drawing of the sculpture, scheduled for unveiling in October 2023. “The fact that I’m involved in this project means the world,” Cobbs said at a press conference, according to ABC News . “I’m humbled to be a part of history in this way and just to be trusted with the task of making sure that I just captured Mrs. Henrietta Lacks the best way I could.”
