In 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman battling cervical cancer, unknowingly made one of the greatest contributions to science. Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took tumor samples from her without her consent. Unlike any other cells, hers continued to divide endlessly, creating the world’s first immortal human cell line—HeLa cells. These cells became the backbone of modern medicine, helping to develop the polio vaccine, advance cancer research, make IVF possible, and even aid in COV*D-19 treat