The Annual Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group

 Essay and Video Competition

                                                                 

1st Prize $250, 2nd Prize $150, and 3rd Prize $75

 (plus a HLLG T-Shirt and a free Tour of Turner Station)

Mission: The Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group (HLLG) exists to protect, preserve, and promote the legacy of Henrietta Lacks and her contributions to modern medicine. It also exists to serve as a clearinghouse for activities that extend Lack’s legacy and the history of Turner Station, Maryland, where Ms. Lacks resided at the time of her death. The essay and video competition support the organization’s mission.  

  1. Eligibility: The competition is open to all students enrolled in middle and high school (grades six through twelve). It is also open to home-schooled students in each of the categories.

  1.  Henrietta Lacks was a resident of Turner Station, Maryland, who died in 1951 of cervical cancer. Her cells (known as the HeLa cells) have been used to develop vaccines, drugs, and treatments for diseases including polio and COVID-19, among other scientific achievements. Select one of the prompts below and write as directed or create a video.

Prompts:

  1. Write an essay explaining why Mrs. Lacks should be celebrated as a national public figure. (Middle school)
  2. Compose a multiple paragraph essay that reflects on contributions of Mrs. Henrietta Lacks to modern science, medicine, and/or  research why. Or, explain why Turner Station should be celebrated as a model of African American progress.  (High school)
  3. Create a video (of images, interviews, etc.) that addresses one of the prompts above. (Open to both middle and high school students)

 

  1. Guidelines: All essay entries must be written in English and typed. Entries should also be formatted according to the submission format guide (see attached). Middle school compositions should be approximately 250-500 words, while high school compositions should be approximately 500-600 words in length. Video submissions should be no more than five minutes in length and emailed as a media file attachment or URL link. Complete the ENTRY FORM at https://forms.gle/czCujiFsREke25tR9 and submit the essay entries, media file or the URL link to your video submission to projecthllg@gmail.com by midnight, Monday, February 2, 2026.

Please read the following statement on AI:  While you may use generative AI like ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas and look up answers to questions, all other use of generative AI should be limited to tools like spellcheck. Your essays should represent your ideas.

Winners will be announced on Friday, March 2, 2026, and recognized during the Women’s History Month at Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold spring Lane, Baltimore MD 21251. The date and time to be announced (TBA).

For more information, contact us at

  projecthllg@gmail.com 

Visit our website at https://henriettalackslegacygroup.org/

Mailing Address

PO Box 374

Perry Hall, MD 21128

The Annual Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group

Essay and Video Competition

                                                                 

Essay Format Guideline

  • One-inch margin on all sides of the page
  • Double spaced lines
  • New Times Roman 12pt. font
  • Page headers should contain the student’s last name and page number.

Plagiarism

Anytime you paraphrase, quote or summarize a passage belonging to someone else, you must document the source. Similarly, anytime you use copyrighted material, including video clips, images or music, you must cite your source.  

Don’t just read history; live it.

Join the Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group

For membership information contact us at HLacksLegacy@gmail.com