The San Bernardino Public Library will host a panel discussion on the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  The discussion will take place on Wednesday, March 6, at 6 PM. Guest speakers will include Dr. Michael Chao, Biology Dept. Chair from Cal State San Bernardino and speakers from Loma Linda University. They will be discussing the biological and ethical ramifications of gene research and what happened to Henrietta Lacks.

Henrietta Lacks was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells – taken without her knowledge in 1951 – became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance. The New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.

The following week, Wednesday March 13 at 6 PM, there will be a screening of the HBO movie, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, starring Oprah Winfrey. For those who prefer a daytime screening, ther will be another showingn on Thursday, March 14 at 3 PM.

The events are free and open to the public. Copies of the book are available to check out at the four City libraries, in addition to the eBook and eAudiobook on  www.sbpl.org

For more information call the Feldheym Central Library at 909-381-8238.