This final installment in the Louis Graham Virtual Roundtable series brings together Charles Stephens, Dr. Robert Aronson, and Dr. William Lopez to reflect on the late Dr. Louis Graham—a public health scholar, UMass-Amherst professor, and Morehouse School of Medicine alumnus who died suddenly in December 2019 before age 40. The panelists, who knew Graham as a mentee, doctoral advisee, and postdoctoral collaborator respectively, describe his groundbreaking research linking racism, mental health, and physical health outcomes among Black gay men, along with his hands-on, community-based participatory research approach that prioritized marginalized voices often left out of academic conversations. The discussion closes the roundtable series by honoring Graham as both an intellectually fearless researcher and a deeply generous friend whose sudden loss cut short a partnership—including his role in inspiring Stephens to found the Counter Narrative Project—that was poised for even greater impact.

This second installment in the Louis Graham Virtual Roundtable series, hosted by Charles Stephens of the Counter Narrative Project in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), honors the legacy of the late public health researcher, UMass-Amherst professor, and MSM alumnus who died suddenly in December 2019. Panelists Stephens, Dr. Kisha Braithwaite, and Dr. Ugo Edu reflect on Graham's brilliance, his fearless advocacy against injustice, and his gift for translating public health research into accessible, community-centered knowledge. The discussion frames Graham's innovative approach to mental health disparities in Black and queer communities, along with his emphasis on relationship-building over transactional research, as a model of excellence for aspiring scholars and health equity advocates.

This first installment in the Louis Graham Virtual Roundtable series brings together Dr. Lance McCready, Justin Smith, and Charles Stephens of the Counter Narrative Project to honor Dr. Louis F. Graham, a public health researcher and advocate for Black queer communities who died in December, 2019. The panelists trace Graham's journey from Carleton College through his MPH at Morehouse School of Medicine and DrPH at UNC-Greensboro, highlighting how he overcame intersecting barriers of racism, homophobia, and classism to build a research legacy of over 1,000 citations centered on Black transgender and queer communities. The discussion frames Graham as a fearless, community-driven scholar whose commitment to ground-up, culturally grounded research continues to shape and inspire public health scholarship today.

As an academic, I was aware of numerous groundbreaking studies and scientific advancements related to HIV. Yet, even those actively involved in HIV advocacy outside academia were largely unaware of this research. This urgency drives me to bridge the gap between research and practice, to ensure that the brilliance of research is not confined to the Ivory Tower. 

CNP mourns the recent and sudden passing of pioneering researcher Dr. John L. Peterson, a leading figure in early HIV research, and mentor too many in Atlanta’s Black gay and healthcare communities. CNP Executive Director Charles Stephens cites Peterson as an early influence on his decades-long career in advocacy and organizing on behalf of Black gay men dating back to his time as an undergraduate student at Georgia State University, where Peterson was a member of the Psychology department faculty.