Henrietta Lacks statue to replace Robert E Lee monument in Virginia

Lacks’ cells were taken from her body without her permission and used for numerous medical advances

A bronze statue of Henrietta Lacks – whose cells were taken from her body without her permission before they facilitated numerous medical advances – is taking the place of a monument to Confederate general Robert E Lee that was taken down in her Virginia home town, officials announced this week.

Sculptor Larry Bechtel is designing the statue that is scheduled to be erected in Roanoke in October 2023 in a victory for supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement. At an announcement ceremony Monday, Bechtel said that he would reference a lifesize drawing of Lacks by artist Bryce Cobbs, ABC News reported.