(Washington, DC) -- Maryland Representative Kweisi Mfume and Senator Chris Van Hollen have introduced the Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act, in the U.S. House and Senate.
The Baltimore woman's cells were illegally taken without consent during a medical procedure in 1951 and researchers found that the cells could reproduce indefinitely.
The legislation would posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks in recognition of her immortal "HeLa cells" which have made invaluable contributions to global health, scientific research, quality of life and patients' rights.
Congressman Mfume says during a time when the Trump administration "shamefully seeks to erase Black history from the American story" the legacies of Black history makers like Mrs. Lacks must be uplifted.
He says the message to President Trump is "you erase it, we will replace it."
24/7 News Source contributed to this report.
