marlenawright

[marlenawright]

Secondary Source #6/ Blog #6

Throughout the book the trust between Deborah and Skloot had developed drastically. I’m the beginning of the book, none of the Lacks would speak with Skloot and now Deborah and Skloot have become friends. On page 303 Skloot said Deborah called her one day saying “Girl, I got to get my rest so we can get back on the road and do more research before the train get cold! But from now on, I ride with you. Everything will be alright”. At this point in the story Deborah was interested in the studies done on the cells and she was very curious and determined to get more education. This research made their relationship stronger and even the Lacks family ralationship stronger. After Deborah’s stroke, the family checked up on her and stayed in contact. I think that family is a key part in the book especially since health care was so one sided during those times. In an article by the Atlantic, I found the importance of health care and what it has been like throughout history and how it is still the same today. If the Lacks were able to get affordable health care in the beginning they might have all survive some of the illnesses that most of them died from.

[marlenawright]

Secondary Source #5 and Blog #5

In chapter 26 I was surprised at extra measures Zakariyya took in order to be able to provide for himself. On page 208 it states “he volunteered for a research on alcoholism to pay for a new job training programs, then signed up for an AIDS study that would’ve let him sleep in a bed for nearly a week”. Zakariyya went as far as being apart of medical studies at Hopkins in order to have a bed, some food and maybe even some money. Although there were ground breaking studies and medical breakthroughs at this time, these studies were done in manipulative ways. Patients were unaware of what the doctors were doing to them and given little information. As I read more in the chapter, I noticed a connection between Deborah and the Zakiriyya. When Deborah first received a copy of, A Conspiracy of Cells: One Woman’s Immortal Legacy and the Medical Scandal It Caused, she was so surprised about the information that she was hidden from her that she “fell apart”. This was similar to Zakariyya not getting enough information in the AIDS study he did at Hopkins. I found it very interesting that these doctors were able to do these studies so I looked into the topic further. I found a source that has a list of 9 other studies that were done with out patients consent. This topic is controversial yet important because, many people don’t know about the studies that took place in order to find these diseases that lead to medical break thoughs.

[marlenawright]

Secondary Source #4 and Blog #4

As I’ve been reading I’ve noticed more family connections in the book. In chapter 16, Skloot explains what life was like for the Lacks family after Henrietta's death. A line from the book that stood out to me was “do what the adults say- otherwise, you’ll get hurt”. When Henrietta died, her children had no idea about the situation and were left silenced and confused. That quote made me think about what I would do in that situation, I would have been scared and kept my mouth shut. As I continued to read this chapter I found out that the kids were physically assaulted by Ethel and Deborah was even sexually assaulted by Galen. Bobbette was an honest person that told Deborah the truth. Bobbette approached Deborah and taught her about pregnancy and why it was wrong for Galen to be using her in those ways. Bobbette was an inspiring family member for the young Deborah that helped defend herself.

My secondary source is about Oprah Winfrey. Oprah did have similar events happen in her childhood and they are very similar to Deborahs. Oprah grew up on poor farmland and was beaten, and abused just like Deborah was. Both being young African American women made it challenging to achieve their dreams.

https://www.notablebiographies.com/We-Z/Winfrey-Oprah.html

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Secondary Source #3/ Blog #3

In chapter 6, I found the journey that the author of the book had to take in order to contact the family of Henrietta interesting. When Rebecca Skloot first contacted Ronald Pattillo one of the first things he said to her was “Henrietta’s family won’t talk to you. They’ve had a terrible time with the HeLa cells.” I could imagine that the family would have been bothered a lot by the media and people were very interested because they didn’t know much at all about Henrietta. Skloot was able to contact some of Henriettas family and did get a few answers she was looking for. Skloot had to gain trust with the Lacks family in order for them to answers the questions to ensure their family was being taken advantage of like other publishers had. Another part of this journey included Skloot doing her own research in other medical research topics like Henriettas such as the Tuskegee syphilis study and the Mississippi appendectomies. In the article below it talks about the Tuskegee Syphilis study being one of the most “famous examples of unethical medical research”. This study involved doctors using African American men with syphilis that were unknowing being harmed . This study is very similar to what Henrietta went through and I believe the close connection of these two medical studies have left a big impact on modern day science experiments and studies.

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Secondary Source #2/Blog #2

In chapter 4 of the Immortal Life of Henrtietta Lacks, the character George Gey was a doctor who was brought up. I learned about the challenges that poorer families had to go through and how Gey was so hopeful through his life even when he had little. Gey came from a poor family, his mother was a farmer that was only able to provided food for the family. Gey was still able to see hope in his future. Gey worked hard in college and often needed to take breaks in order to focus on work to pay for his school tuition. Gey was on his way to becoming a doctor and he did achieve this goal. When he was in the medical field he made ground breaking discoveries and was the doctor who discovered the HeLa cells. It’s hard to know for sure why he took Henriettas cells without her permission. The result of this did lead to controversy but also more scientific discoveries came from this. In this article I found that it does a good job of explain the pros and cons of the history of the HeLa cells.

[marlenawright]

Secondary Source #1/ Blog #1

Within the first few chapters or the book, the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I’ve noticed the author has done a good job at introducing the characters and Henriettas family. Jumping straight to the facts and biology portion of the book would have confused me and I’m surprised that there wasn’t more mentioning of the cancer in the beginning. I however, did notice there was a brutal amount of racism throughout these first few chapters. Being a young, African American female during the 1920’s was a harsh time and Henrietta was still able to have confidence and overcome her challenges. In the article below by Harvard Health Blog it explains how racism in the healthcare community has evolved overtime and how this is still an issue today.

[marlenawright]

You’re totally right. The image gives me a feeling of relaxation and allows me to stop and take a deep breath to admire the beauty. It’s not everyday we get the pleasure of seeing beautiful sights like this. Photography allows us to experience other people’s beauty they have found in the world. The art of photography has been around for many years and has developed rapidly over time providing us the ability to share instantly what we inturpt and infer. I see a great adventure hiding within these rocks. A trail recede back toward the left corner drawing me in and making me imagine what lies deeper beyond the sand.

Time.

[marlenawright]

Although Football has patterns, plays and specific movements, I do not consider football a form of art. Skill and talent aren’t the most important factors in the art community. Anyone can grab a pencil and piece of paper and become an artist, they might not be Picasso but they are still an artist. In football your skill is determined by winning points and keeping score. With art there are no rules. Artists have freedom and it’s hard to express your feelings on the field when you have to pay attention to rules, specific plays and your coach. On the other hand I would consider a sport such as dance an art. Dance can be physically demanding (espically competitive dance) and yet be syncranized and beautifully coordinated creating the perfect piece of performing art💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼.

🤯

[marlenawright]

I totally agree that Jack-o-lanterns are art. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been carving pumpkins for Halloween. I remember trying to do more skilled carvings such as princesses but, I would always resort to my classic two triangle eyes and a jagged smile. Carving the pumpkin gave me not only excitement as a kid but an opportunity for creativity at a young age. I enjoy how you included a reference to the Office because this represent how we see Jack-o-lanterns in many areas of our life.

🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃

[marlenawright]

Calligraphy is an art that I visually enjoy and I use almost everyday. At school my favorite class to take notes in is math. I enjoy color coding the notes and writing in different sizes fonts depending on the importance of the subject. Calligraphy helps me learn and stay organized this is why I choose to use it. This art isn’t highly appreciated by many people but it is seen everywhere, on billboards, in street art, in advertisements and even on everyday products. Calligraphy is defined as the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering this means any type of writing could be considered calligraphy. Calligraphy is an art that has been around since the 16th century and today we still us the same tactic when it comes to this decorative form or writing. Even if I might be the only person who sees my math notes the calligraphy I create is important to me because I’ve created it for my visual satisfaction.

47/100 DAYS OF PRODUCTIVITY

• went to school (the biology test went well, but that's weird so i might have missed something, idk)

• did my maths homework

• did my philosophy homework

• cleaned my room and packed my bag for tomorrow (i had some piles of paper and books on my desk)

• almost finished The Testaments!! (might finish the book today, but since it hasn't happened yet...)

[marlenawright]

Everyday I get dressed and I ask the same question what am I going to wear today? Fashion is a type of art that allows me to be expressive and show people who don’t know me who I am. For me, my style isn’t anything super fancy but fashion isn’t just based off the price and the brand of what you’re wearing. It’s based on expressionism and is seen in all cultures. All around the world people dress different based on their beliefs and practices. Fashion allows one to express colors, patterns, and textures on a daily basis. Clothings main purposes are to cover up, make you feel more attractive, and to communicate. Art speaks to everyone differently and with fashion it’s not words, it’s the style and how you decide to wear your outfit.

[marlenawright]

They say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I say, one man’s trash is another man’s art. People often consider trash as rubbish and gross junk but in reality there is beauty in the remains of what people have left behind. Whether its trash or recycled parts, people today are making art out of the waste. When I throw away a plastic cup I don’t think about it being art but many artists are able to see the creativity in simple plastic recycled parts. In the sculpture above you can see how the artist chose specific pieces of waste and put them together to creat a cat. This art is expressive and sends a message to the people in the city that they can do more with their trash than just throw it away. Trash art allows artists to be imaginative and lets its viewers to be visually intrigued and informed.

Giant Cat made from trash by Bordalo II, Portugal.

[marlenawright]

Social media is it’s own type of art that allows you to express your interests. Social media platforms such as instagram and Snapchat allows its users to create content and share it with viewers. Here is an example of someone sharing their trip with his friends. Many people consider photography a form of art. Thats exactly what Danny does in his post. He took photos that expressed himself in nature and with his friends then, was able to share them to the public. People show their creativity all over social media, whether it’s art they've painted, fashion, videos and tutorials, or even digital art. Social media influences trends and allows freedom in the art community.

Danny’s instagram post, October 3 2019

[marlenawright]

Hey Ben, eventhough I have not seen this movie yet I do agree that all movies are a form of art. However, I believe the art is found in the special effects. This include cool backgrounds, make up and illusions that film producers use in their work. I respectfully disagree that the producer used his art for these themes. The producer used art in the form of make up and effects to give the film a dramatic effect. A dramatic film will catch the audiences attention, rather than a film about mental illness.

Joker, 2019.🤡🎬

[marlenawright]

Another type of art I enjoy is Photorealism. Many people who enjoy painting and drawing know that it’s not always easy to look at a photo and draw it. As an artist myself, I strive to be as good as this artist, Ralph Goings. Many of the paintings I do involve watercolor and acrylic and end up looking more abstract than real. Photorealism takes time, practice and much effort. These attributes are important when painting and I personally want to acquire more of. The beauty of this art is found when the product is complete. You can look back at the original photo and compare the similarities that are found within the photo version and the art you've just created. Photorealism is visual art that I've personally admired for a long time and I hope I can enjoy it more as I become more talented within the art I do myself.

Ralph Goings (American, b.1928) - Window

[marlenawright]

Music is a form of art that I enjoy every day. Whether it’s in the car, at school, or even while I’m studying, music is everywhere🎶. One artist that I can proudly say I enjoy is Ariana grande. Ariana Grande's song Breathin is one of my favorite songs because she creates a clear message to her listeners through her thoughts and words. In this song the message is about anxiety and many people can relate to this feeling. Certain artists and certain styles of music can impact my mood. Ariana Grande's art can put me in many different moods such as empowered, ambitious, and even emotional. In this song, Ariana Gande is using her personal experiences to express what she encounters during a panic attack. By writing music it allows her to free her mind. While her audience listens, including myself, it allows us to feel bonded through these emotions that speak out all over her art.

Breathin by Ariana Grande with added From Another Room effect

Requested by @jayblanks

[marlenawright]

What Do I Want From My Education?

Hello followers! Today I’m going to be writing about my education . Originally I believed that what I wanted from my education was good grades and to graduate. I began giving this question deeper thought and realized that this time there is more meaning to my education. To start off, I mainly want freedom and knowlegde from my education. The type of freedom I want is to be able to make my own choices when it comes to what classes I want to take and what I wanted to learn. I know that many lessons that are taught at school are mandatory but at times I consider some lessons useless. I tend to enjoy science and math classes more than English and history classes. I find it easier to learn in the classes I enjoy. With that being said without education there isn’t knowledge. I consider knowledge important because, I will need what I learn for the rest of my life whether it’s for the job I want to pursue or it’s for writing a text. I also have goals for my future such as going to college and obtaining a stable job. These goals are very important to me and all begin with a great education at the foundation. Education should prepare me for the real world and teach me how to be successful with the knowlegde my teachers have given me.