Photo by Justin Gordon
Shamiah Johnson
Shamiah Johnson
Shamiah Johnson is a caregiver who is also building community. She owns the apparel brand Our Memories, which donates a percentage of profits to organizations bringing awareness and resources to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Johnson launched Our Memories in September 2023 and in less than six months has raised over $2,000 for the cause. Her merchandise includes shirts, hoodies, hats, coffee mugs and more.
When her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, Shamiah Johnson became a full-time caregiver. “When you get that diagnosis, your stomach kind of drops,” she said. “I named it Our Memories because it’s all about creating new ones while honoring the old ones.”
Johnson wanted to sell clothes because it can be a fun and simple way to get a message across rather than dropping something heavy on someone. “Through this, I’ve met a lot of people who have had loved ones affected by some form of dementia,” she continues. “You hear a lot of peoples’ stories. Some have been caregivers, and some are new to it, but they've all become part of my community.”
Musical Memories
The first Our Memories drop was the “Memories in Music” t-shirt, which remains Johnson’s top seller. “I created it because me and my mom are always jamming to music together at home and it’s a huge way how we connect,” she shares. “Music helps people remember things even when they can’t by themselves.”
Johnson creates her own designs and has a heat press at home to make her apparel. She began vending at different events and markets, starting in October with Legacy Caregiver Support Program’s launch.
The primary two organizations Our Memories has donated proceeds to are Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute and Melanin Minded LLC. WAI’s Milwaukee branch focuses specifically on equity in healthcare in the Black community, while Melanin Minded is a fellow Black-owned business that has a transportation service with drivers who are trained to work with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. “Both of them do work that I feel strongly about,” Johnson says. Our Memories has merchandise for sale at Bronzeville Collective MKE as well. “I love them over there,” Johnson remarks with a smile. “I feel so happy every time I walk in.”
Speaking on the most important thing to understand about any type of dementia, Johnson contends, “For most of us when we first hear about it, we think memory loss. But it’s so much more than just that. Your relationship with the person changes, their behavior changes, there’s physical limitations—it changes every aspect of life. As a caregiver, you need patience. You also need to have forgiveness for yourself. I’ve been trying to keep that dignity because my mom is not a child, she’s an adult, so I want her to have that degree of independence. There’s a balance of being there to help but also recognizing that they’re still able to do certain things by themselves.”
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Through her work, Johnson has been impacted and moved by people she has met and stories she has heard, elaborating, “A woman I know through Instagram, Jessica C. Guthrie, is going through her journey as a caregiver with her mom; they’re in year nine, and she’s been a huge influence on me in how I try to help others. Here in Milwaukee, I’ve met other young caregivers who have dealt with diagnoses for people younger than 60 just like my mom. A woman I met at an Alzheimer’s Association event last month was crying because she just found out that her mother was diagnosed, and I remember being in her exact spot a year ago. Being able to help her because others helped me just made me want to go harder, and now I still keep in touch and check in with her.”
Johnson plans to be at markets and festivals with Our Memories throughout the summer and continue getting the word out. In the meantime, catch Our Memories at the 11th Annual Waukesha Spring Fling Vendor Event on April 6.“Memories should be made organically,” Johnson concludes, “but you should also intentionally make space for them.”
