Letter to the editor

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter with a heavy heart and real concern regarding the termination of Mr. Lorenzo Tucker, a respected community advocate and a member of the Charlotte Black Gay Pride community.

I want to be clear about the timeline. Mr. Tucker was terminated from his position at C.W. Williams Community Health Center before the “Bridging the Gap” event, which he later hosted in observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. That detail matters, because the event reflects the kind of community-centered work that is now being questioned and, in my opinion, unfairly so.

After losing his job, Mr. Tucker still showed up for the community. He went on to host “Bridging the Gap,” an event that created a safe and affirming space for people living with HIV/AIDS. It brought organizations together and included a town hall where real, honest conversations took place about collaboration, equity and how we can do better together. It was powerful, needed and rooted in service, not competition.

When I learned about Mr. Tucker’s termination, I reached out to him directly because I needed to understand what had happened. As he explained the situation, I was deeply saddened. While Mr. Tucker is not an employee of Quality Comprehensive Health Center, he is part of my community, and I take that seriously. I am committed to standing up for my community, especially when actions taken against one person risk discouraging collaboration from all of us.

What troubles me most is that Mr. Tucker was acting as a representative of Charlotte Black Gay Pride, not on behalf of C.W. Williams Community Health Center. Over the years, Quality Comprehensive Health Center and C.W. Williams Community Health Center have worked together. C.W. Williams has participated in events hosted by Quality, and collaboration has never been treated as a problem or a conflict of interest before.

Seeking clarity, I personally contacted Debra Weeks, CEO of C.W. Williams Community Health Center. She assured me that Mr. Tucker’s termination was not related to the Quality Comprehensive Health Center. However, that assurance did not align with documentation later shared with me, including a forwarded email from Jose R. Rivas, HR Director, which stated that the reason for termination was a “conflict of interest.”

That contradiction is deeply concerning.

As community leaders, we cannot keep sweeping issues like this under the rug and pretending they don’t cause harm. Silence doesn’t fix anything; it erodes trust and damages relationships. This moment calls for honesty, accountability and a willingness to sit at the table and work through hard conversations.

We also have to be honest about the larger picture. In this political and funding climate, people are losing access to care every day. Programs are shrinking, resources are tightening, and the communities most impacted by HIV/AIDS and health inequities are suffering the consequences. At a time like this, we are fighting the wrong people.

No single organization can do this work alone. Collaboration is not a threat, it is a necessity. When we punish people for building bridges, we send the wrong message to advocates and public health professionals who are simply trying to make sure no one is left behind.

Mr. Tucker’s actions were not inappropriate or self-serving. They were rooted in service, advocacy and a genuine desire to create safe spaces for marginalized communities. Responding to that kind of leadership with termination undermines the mission we all claim to stand for.

I write this letter not only in support of Mr. Lorenzo Tucker, but as a call to do better. Our communities deserve leadership that values collaboration, protects advocates and puts people before politics.

Respectfully,

Dr. Ra’Shawn D. Flournoy
Chief Executive Officer
Quality Comprehensive Health Center