02/28/2026
🖤 Today we honor Henrietta Lacks, the “mother of modern medicine,” whose cells transformed biomedical science. Taken without her consent in 1951 at Johns Hopkins Hospital, HeLa cells have powered breakthroughs in cancer research, vaccines, fertility science, and more.
Her story is both a scientific legacy and an ethical reminder.
From our headquarters in Baltimore, RedEnvelope is committed to building women’s health technologies rooted in equity, consent, and inclusive representation. Black History Month is about remembrance, dignity, and responsibility — and a reminder that honorable research is truly innovative when it reflects the full diversity of women.
Photo credits:
Gallery portrait courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (Object No. nmaahc_2018.25).
Henrietta Lacks mural, Baltimore, courtesy of No Boundaries Coalition / Nos Réme Baltimore.