Statue of Henrietta Lacks to replace toppled Robert E. Lee monument in Virginia

1 [Statue of Henrietta Lacks to replace toppled Robert E. Lee monument in Virginia]( Lee Plaza in Roanoke, Virginia, was named for Robert E. Lee, and up until 2020, it was home to a monument to the famed Confederate general. In the racial justice protests of 2020, however, the [monument was toppled]( and then removed. And in 2021, the city council [voted to split the renaming of the plaza]( with part becoming Freedom Plaza and the section where Lee's monument stood becoming Henrietta Lacks Plaza. In a move that reflects the nation's ongoing reckoning with its racial history, [a statue of Lacks will soon be erected]( in the city of her birth, right where the Lee monument stood. At an event at the site this week, artist Bryce Cobbs unveiled a full-sized rendering of Lacks, upon which the new statue will be designed. [Henrietta Lacks]( was a Black American woman and mother of five who was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer in 1951. While she was being treated at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, a doctor snipped cells from her cervix without her knowledge or consent. Lacks died of the aggressive cancer at age 31, but her cells lived on … and on and on, much to the surprise of Dr. George Gey, the researcher who studied them. [Read the story]( 2 [Little girl mistakes shopper for Santa and he adorably plays along: 'A great Christmas present']( Kids really look forward to meeting Santa Claus during the holiday season when he comes by to drop off their presents. One such child was ecstatic when she saw "Santa Claus" at a Walmart in Teays Valley while shopping with her family. The little one named Sophie Jo couldn't stop looking at a shopper in a red shirt in Walmart as she was convinced he was Father Christmas himself. She eventually went up to him and asked him if he was Santa and the kind stranger, realizing how much it meant to her, played along. In a [video]( of their heartwarming interaction captured by Sophie's sister, the little girl can be seen near the man—who was actually a local shopped named Roger—as he kneels down to talk to her. "I've been told you've been a good girl this year," he tells the young one. [Read the story]( Did a friend forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( 3 [Javamelts naturally flavored sugars are just the right amount of extra sweetness]( Whether you're sprinkling it into your simple morning coffee or layering it into a decadent dessert, [Javamelts naturally flavored sugars]( bring your treats from ordinary to extraordinary. Because where there’s sugar there should be flavored sugar. But what flavors do they have? Gosh, we’d thought you’d never ask! [Javamelts]( are available in mocha, caramel, french vanilla, and hazelnut. They are kosher certified, 100% vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free. Oh, and did we mention they’re also women-owned and the packaging is recyclable? Their special sugar blends come in large pouch bags which are perfect for not only coffee and tea, but for baking and having on hand for artisan cocktails (Hello simple syrup!). They also have small individual flavored sugar packets, ideal for a little pizzazz on the go. And speaking of flavored sugar on the go, that’s how the idea of Javamelts was first formed! [Read the story]( 4 [Mariah Carey calls video of an autistic kid singing 'All I Want for Christmas Is You’ pure 'JOY']( One of the most [common misconceptions]( about people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is that they are emotionless. The disorder exists on a spectrum, so everyone is different, but people with ASD experience the same emotions as everyone else and sometimes [more intensely.]( “Sometimes, an individual with autism may display their emotions differently than one might expect, but this does not mean they are emotionless,” [Autism Learning Partners wrote](. “Some individuals with autism may internalize their feelings, not as a direct result of autism, but because of external factors such as bullying or trauma.” A viral video posted by mother Jennifer White-Johnson shows that people with ASD have no problem experiencing emotions and when that’s mixed with self-confidence can result in eruptions of pure, unbridled joy. [Read the story]( 5 [Boy Scout became Santa to foster kids in Minnesota by selling $56,396 in popcorn]( Most kids are busy trying to convince their parents they need a new thing added to their Christmas list a few days before the big day. But 12-year-old Jonathan "J.J." Werner in Cambridge, Minnesota, stays busy making sure other kids have something under their Christmas tree. He really takes his service projects seriously. Last year, the young Scout worked to provide Christmas gifts for [children in foster care]( in two Minnesota counties. This year, he added kids currently living in domestic violence shelters to the list. Jonathan raised money by participating in a popcorn fundraiser. He told [KARE 11]( in 2021, "I adopted all the foster care kids in Kanabec County and Isanti County for Christmas." There were up to 120 kids in foster care in the two counties and Jonathan was able to provide a present for each of them, with the help of his mom's minivan. He made more than $46,194 in popcorn sales, and this year he beat that number by $10,000, selling [$56,396 worth of popcorn](. 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