Johns Hopkins and the Henrietta Lacks family break ground on a building named in honor of Henrietta Lacks

“I am very excited to begin construction on the Henrietta Lacks building,” says Jeri Lux WhyHenrietta Lacks granddaughter and dick Henrietta Lacks is missing a building advisory committee. “While this building will bear her name, it will also provide space for continued research, learning and inspiration for future generations. We recognize not only the scientific contributions made possible by her cells. We also acknowledge the story of the black woman who did not live to see the world her cells helped create—a story that has been hidden for too long. We hope this building will continue to shine a light on her legacy.”

“Seventy-three years ago the world knew her as Helen Lane and Henry Lawson,” says Veronica Robinson, granddaughter of Henrietta Lacks and member Henrietta Lacks is missing a building advisory committee. “They were afraid to say her name. Her journey began as a patient. today we continue her legacy by crediting her contributions not just as an unwitting participant, but as the mother of modern medicine. Say her name is Henrietta Lacks.

Plans for the building were first announced in 2018, with an initial design for the building unveiled in 2022. Vines Architecture acted as the design architect; Baltimore-based Design Collective is an established architect; and local Baltimore construction firm Mahogany, along with Turner Construction Company, led the preparatory work and will serve as construction manager for the building’s delivery.

The new 34,000-square-foot building will be located on the East Baltimore campus at the corner of Ashland and Rutland avenues and adjacent to Deering Hall, the historic home of the Berman Institute of Bioethics. The building will support numerous programs of the Berman Institute, Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and will house flexible programs and classroom space for educational, research and public service purposes.

Daniels, DeWeese and Kahn gave speeches at the groundbreaking ceremony and were joined by many members of Johns Hopkins and the local community, federal and local elected officials, and a number of descendants of Henrietta Lacks.

Construction of the building is planned to be completed in 2026. For more information about the project, visit the website hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/updates.html.