WHO WE ARE
OUR STORY
Word is Bond is a nonprofit leadership incubator for young Black men founded by Lakayana Yotoma Drury in Portland, Oregon, in 2017. Word is Bond empowers young Black men, ages 15-20, by creating a pipeline for them to discover their identity, higher purpose, and achieve their wildest dreams. Harnessing the soul force of Black boy joy and the power of storytelling, we create dynamic programming to answer our mission statement:
What if young Black men were empowered to their fullest potential?
UNAPLOLOGETICALLY BLACK
In creating Word is Bond, we felt strongly about the need to center the unique experiences of young Black men. We saw the deficits; the lack of Black male mentors and decades of data pointing to the underachievement of Black men, as well as the opportunities.
A message from our Founder and Executive Director, Lakayana Yotoma Drury
Word is Bond is an organization and brand that pushes boundaries and ditches tradition. Our mission and vision statements reflect our unique approach to our work
Our Mission
What if YOUNG BLACK MEN were empowered to their fullest potential?
Our Vision
Young Black Men Are____
Grounded in our belief that young Black men should define their narrative, our open-ended vision statement invites participants to shape their futures while celebrating infinite expressions of Black boy joy.
Our Theory of Change: “Un-Ness”
THE PHILOSOPHY OF UNRAVELLING PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS WE HAVE BEEN BOUND TO, GRANTING US PERMISSION TO DREAM IN ABUNDANCE.
The Un-Ness Philosophy term coined by Word is Bond staff. It is the framework we developed to deconstruct dominant systems and reimagine them in a way that works for the communities we serve.
It examines traditional frameworks, questioning which elements should remain and what can evolve. It focuses on reimagining established systems while retaining foundational aspects that hold value, fostering a mindset that combines respect for tradition with innovation.
OUR VALUES
- Ancestry
- Community
- Youth Voice
- Leadership
- Storytelling and Narrative Reclamation
- Collaboration
- Collaboration
- Innovation
- Self-actualization
- Strength-based Approaches
- Abundance Mindset
- Transparent Accountability
WHO WE SERVE
OUR PEOPLE
LAKAYANA DURY
Executive Director
BIL SPIGNER
Operations Director
ZION WARD
Program Leadership
OUR BOARD
Organization History
- 2017 – Word is Bond was founded in Portland, OR
- 2020 – Word is Bond hires its first full-time staff position
- 2021 – Word is Bond rents its first office space
- 2022 – First Civic Leadership Forum trip to Washington D.C.
- 2022 – Word is Bond lead its first In My Shoes walking Tours
- 2023 – Inaugural Black Star Homecoming Expedition to Accra, Ghana
- 2024 – Word is Bond releases first documentary, The Black Stars
- 2025 – Word is Bond contracts is first Black male mental health therapist
IN THEIR OWN WORDS_____
