Trailer: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks with Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne
Posted on March 7, 2017 at 8:00 am
Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne star in “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” based on the best-selling book by Rebecca Skloot. Lacks was a poor black woman who died at age 31 of cancer. Some 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. For reasons no one understands, her cancer cells were remarkably vibrant, reproducing robustly and staying alive basically indefinitely. Some of the most significant advances of medical science in the next fifty years began with her cells. Her family knew nothing about it, and of course they were never paid for the use of the cells or the products developed with them.
Smithsonian’s New African-American History Museum: Virtual Tour
Posted on September 6, 2016 at 3:57 pm
The National Museum of African American History and Culture, the newest addition to the Smithsonian, is finally opening this month. Free tickets for the first few weeks are already gone, but everyone can take a virtual tour of exhibits like “Musical Crossroads” featuring artifacts like Chuck Berry’s Cadillac and Louis Armstrong’s trumpet, and an immersive visual presentation. Musical performances on the surrounding screens include artists as varied as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Outkast. In the Sports Gallery, a life-size sculpture records the moment at the 1968 Olympics when Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in the air on the medal podium and tributes to legends like Michael Jordan and the Williams sisters. The museum’s theater is named for major donor Oprah Winfrey.
Copyright Smithsonian 2016
As visitors wait for the elevator, they will view a wall of thought-provoking and inspiring quotes. And the casket of slain teenager Emmett Till, murdered in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman, will be on view, with a recording of his mother telling the story.
Museum director Lonnie Bunch wrote in Smithsonian Magazine:
I think the museum needs to be a place that finds the right tension between moments of pain and stories of resiliency and uplift. There will be moments where visitors could cry as they ponder the pains of the past, but they will also find much of the joy and hope that have been a cornerstone of the African-American experience. Ultimately, I trust that our visitors will draw sustenance, inspiration and a commitment from the lessons of history to make America better. At this time in our country, there is a great need for contextualization and the clarity that comes from understanding one’s history. I hope that the museum can play a small part in helping our nation grapple with its tortured racial past. And maybe even help us find a bit of reconciliation.
The museum pays tribute to the environment as well, seeking to become the first Gold LEED-certified building on the National Mall. Solar cells on the building’s roof produce electricity to heat water for the structure. Other sustainability-driven features include the green roof along Constitution Avenue and the water recycling and filtration system. The three-tiered trapezoid shape of the bronze corona that wraps around the outside of the glass building is inspired by a sculpture from the early 20th-century Yoruban artist Olowe of Ise of a woman wearing a three-tiered crown. Most of the building is underground, so that the structure does not overwhelm the nearby Washington Monument and other icons of the Mall.
Coming to OWN: Greenleaf, A Soapy Drama About a Mega-Church Preacher’s Family
Posted on June 18, 2016 at 5:41 pm
Coming to OWN: “Greenleaf” is the story of a megachurch preacher’s dysfunctional family. Estranged daughter and disillusioned preacher Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge, “The Night Shift”) returns home after 20 years after the death of her sister, Faith. As she reenters the world of Calvary Fellowship World Ministries, the Memphis megachurch run by her powerful parents Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David, “Enlisted” and “Community”) and Lady Mae Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield, “The Josephine Baker Story”), it becomes evident that the family’s outward display of faith hides secrets and abuse.
Winfrey, who also stars in the series, told TV Guide that the show deals with serious issues but is fun to watch. “It has substance and soul, but we’re not knocking you over the head. We’re here to entertain.”
There was something special about the poor, uneducated Henrietta Lacks, something she could never have suspected. From the description of the book, by Rebecca Smoot:
She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.
Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.
Her family knew nothing about this and of course was not paid for the use of her cells. Winfrey’s casting as the daughter suggests the focus will be more on the family and the ethical questions than the science, but I hope both will be covered.
The Real Story: Ashley Smith and “Captive,” Based on Her Life
Posted on August 6, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Ashley Smith made headlines when she touched the heart of the man who took her captive by reading to him from Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. Her own book is Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero. And her story has now been turned into a movie starring Kate Mara and David Oyelowo. We are very pleased to have an exclusive clip of the real Ashley Smith with Rick Warren that is shown during the credits of the film.
And here is an excerpt from the book, used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
“I could remember thinking to myself at some point that morning, after I made it out of the apartment, “God, what did I do to make you save me?” I was like, “I can’t believe I really made it.” When Brian Nichols first came through that door that night, I thought my life was done. I just knew God was about to take me home. He was taking me home because of my mistakes. That’s what I thought. I had made too many mistakes to count, and God was through playing. It was just over.
And then to walk out the door that morning? I knew I might have been the only person Brian Nichols had come into contact with and not killed. He had shot those people at the courthouse, and the agent. He had admitted to me right here in this apartment that he had killed that man. Brian Nichols could have done whatever he wanted to me. But he didn’t hurt me. He hardly touched me. I mean, he taped me up. He carried me into this bathroom right here. I put a Band-Aid on his finger at the kitchen sink. But that was about all there was for contact.
And yet, at the beginning he was pointing that gun in my face and all I could think was, “He’s going to pull that trigger. He’s crazy, and he’s about to lose it and pull that trigger. God’s taking me home.” Just what did I do, God—to make you save me?
I glanced over at the bathroom counter again and saw that the last line of ice was gone now. Maybe the FBI got it—I hadn’t let law enforcement know about it yet. Maybe Brian did something with it before he surrendered. I didn’t know. I was just glad I could stand here with these people and know that I didn’t do it. I didn’t do those drugs. And God was proud of me for that. Even right now I could feel him smiling down on me and saying, “Good job, Ashley.”
. Her own book is 
. And her story has now been turned into a movie starring Kate Mara and David Oyelowo. We are very pleased to have an exclusive clip of the real Ashley Smith with Rick Warren that is shown during the credits of the film.