At 17, Omarion Calloway received 21 college offers and $1.3 million in scholarships; it’s an achievement that any teenager should be proud of. What makes this accomplishment more outstanding is that he did it while navigating grief, instability, and the responsibility of caring for his family members since childhood.
For this reason, Calloway has launched WeRiseLoud, a platform committed to giving caregivers, survivors, and marginalized communities a voice. The platform will provide caregivers with the tools they need to move forward. It will be a hub for inspiring stories and art to help survivors be encouraged.
Omarion Calloway’s story as a caregiver
When Calloway’s uncle was involved in an accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, he became his uncle’s caregiver at the tender age of 10. He bathed, fed, and comforted his uncle when he would experience seizures. While his mother worked several jobs to provide for the family, Calloway cared for his brother. On top of this, he was also providing care for his grandmother, who was battling cancer.
“Caregiving wasn’t a burden—it was an act of love,” Omarion reflects. “A fight to give my family the care they deserved in a world that often made us feel invisible,” he added.
His story gained national attention in 2022, but Calloway lost his uncle and grandmother, which prompted his desire to create something that would honor their legacy by empowering others.
Creating WeRiseLoud platform
Calloway is currently a junior at New York University studying film. He is also an intern at The Sherri Show, where a chance meeting with Yara Shahidi affirmed his desire to make a difference. “I was questioning if I belonged in these spaces. But Yara’s presence reminded me to trust in myself. She saw me in a way I hadn’t seen myself,” he said.
That encounter led to the launch of WeRiseLoud; Colloway took his experiences as a caregiver and created a platform that would amplify the voices of the unheard. “This platform is for the child caring for others while no one asks how they’re doing,” he says. “For families living in borrowed spaces. For people wondering if their stories matter. I’m here to tell them: You matter. You always have.”
Image: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
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