Living Out Loud: Faith, Advocacy, and Black Dementia Minds

Faith is foundational to Robert Reid’s family values. A longtime resident of Hampton, Georgia, Robert was ordained as a Deacon in 2003 and has served in various leadership roles within his church communities. And he currently serves as a Deacon at Restoration Christian Fellowship Church, in College Park, Georgia. Having retired from a nearly 40-year career in transportation, Robert now cares for his wife Kimberly full-time. In 2017, Kimberly received a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Upon Kim’s diagnosis, the family made it a personal mission to advocate for Persons Living Fully with Dementia and for Caregivers/Care Partners. Robert is a Support Group Facilitator for Black Dementia Minds, a culturally grounded, faith-based group under the National Council of Dementia Minds. And he previously served on the ALTER Dementia Advisory Board and has contributed to caregiver resources, research, and awareness efforts nationwide.

Robert contributed to the Dementia Action Alliance’s Pathways to Well-Being with the 2022 publication of the Dementia Manual of Help, Hope, and Inspiration and has faithfully captained a Walk To End Alzheimer’s Team since 2017, earning recognition as a Top 5 fundraiser for the past five years. Most recently, Robert and Kimberly took part in a PBS Documentary entitled Dementia and Living Well as one of the featured families. They are proud parents of two adult children: Brandice, a 2023 Teacher of the Year, and Robert, a sports videographer.