Common Read Convocation: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Each year a Common Read book is chosen for all first-year students to read during the summer before their arrival on Messiah's campus. The purpose of the Common Read program is to provide an opportunity for students to share in a common academic experience that will be complemented by curricular and co-curricular experiences after arriving on campus.

Rebecca Skloot’s book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks recovers the nearly-forgotten life of Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951) whose cells have been some of the most important tools in modern medicine for over 70 years. Drawing on rigorous research and personal relationships with members of the Lacks family, Rebecca Skloot tells the story of Henrietta’s life, death, and recovered legacy, exposing the deep roots of racism and classism in American medicine and the healing power of family, friendship, and the truth.

Each year a Common Read book is chosen for all first-year students to read during the summer before their arrival on Messiah's campus. The purpose of the Common Read program is to provide an opportunity for students to share in a common academic experience that will be complemented by curricular and co-curricular experiences after arriving on campus.