Grue
@fuzzyinthehead.bsky.social
Derby weirdo, pharma quality professional, nerdy red mage, advocate for paying artists FFS
Reposted by Grue
…Three: no matter who you are, or what medical condition you might have (or not), we owe the continuity of our lives to Henrietta Lacks.
Happy belated heavenly birthday (August 1).
Happy belated heavenly birthday (August 1).
![The Mother of Modern Medicine by Kadir Nelson, oil on linen, 2017.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of African American History and Culture.
From the National Museum of African American History and Culture:
Artist’s Statement:
"The Mother of Modern Medicine," visually juxtaposing faith and science. Lacks smiles innocently. She stands with her beautifully manicured hands crossed, covering her womb (the birthplace of the immortal cell line) while cradling her beloved Bible (a symbol of her strong faith). Her deep red dress is covered with a vibrant floral pattern that recalls images of cell structure and division, while two of the four dime-sized buttons on her dress are noticeably missing (a reference to the cells that were taken from her body without her knowledge). Her bright yellow hat functions as a halo (recalling Renaissance paintings of the Madonna), while pearls (a symbol of the aggressive cancer that took her life) hang from her neck. The decorative wallpaper behind her forms a repeated hexagonal pattern, a design containing the "flower of life", an ancient symbol of immortality and exponential growth - two distinctive qualities of her rare and incredibly durable cells."
-Kadir Nelson, 2017.
Description
Lacks, smiling, is depicted standing in the center of the image. She is facing forward with her hands clasped in front of her body, holding a black book with gold-colored text [HOLY BIBLE]. Lacks is wearing a red dress with a white flower pattern and small belt. The dress has central buttons, with two missing. There is a flower accessory with three pearls in the center above the buttons. Lacks is wearing a wedding ring and a pearl necklaces and earrings. She has a cream and tan hat, the circular brim of which acts like a halo behind her head. Lacks is standing in front of a cream wall with a blue geometric "Flower of Life" motif. The work is signed in the lower right.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xrxbycbachtxi4gjqk3f4rzb/bafkreig4ydno6kf5x5ov52gdpemk4iltnoippqblybgox7harelcefdwue@jpeg)
August 3, 2025 at 9:03 PM
…Three: no matter who you are, or what medical condition you might have (or not), we owe the continuity of our lives to Henrietta Lacks.
Happy belated heavenly birthday (August 1).
Happy belated heavenly birthday (August 1).
Reposted by Grue
Absolute Puritan bullshit. Suffering does not make the world better! Heat stress is really hard on your body! People do not need to suffer medically dangerous temperatures to remember that climate change sucks!
July 14, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Absolute Puritan bullshit. Suffering does not make the world better! Heat stress is really hard on your body! People do not need to suffer medically dangerous temperatures to remember that climate change sucks!