The assertion that "all men are created equal" was considered so indisputable that it was enshrined in our nation's founding document, the Declaration of Independence.  While this sentiment formed the bedrock on which our nation was formed, history has proven this aspiration to be a slow and arduous process, especially for African Americans. 

In the first half of the 20th century, African Americans traveling from Southern states to points North and West defined the Great Migration.  The relocation of millions of African Americans not only impacted the individuals and families who uprooted themselves in search of new and better lives, but also changed the face of the United States of America. 

This learning lab will explore our nation's ideals through the lens of Henrietta Lacks: a young African American woman from Virginia who moves to Maryland hoping to improve the life of her family. After moving to Maryland she is diagnosed with cervical cancer which ultimately takes her life. The following activity provides students an opportunity to use primary and secondary source documents to explore how racism and segregation impacted Henrietta's life and legacy.

As you learn of Henrietta's life, a multitude of questions may arise such as

• How did our society decide who receives equal treatment and how have these perceptions changed, or failed to change throughout history?  
• What obstacles and misconceptions did African Americans encounter in the early 1900s?  
• What roles did ethnicity, race, and gender play? 
• How should we acknowledge the African Americans who were mistreated and taken advantage of in the construction of this nation, but were often unable to reap the fruits of their sacrifices?