Word is Bond PDX
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Word is Bond community ambassador Zakai Onik interviews Nation Guard serviceman Christian who is on duty from Mississippi.
Zakai is part of the fifth annual Civic Leadership Forum to Washington D.C. a one-week public policy and HBCU trip for young Black men.
Zakai and his cohort have presented to four Congressional Representatives on Capital Hill, toured colleges and studied local history.
This interview took place in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and is part of the leadership framework our ambassadors learn to meet and engage with community members of all backgrounds.
Learn more at wordisbond.org
02/19/2026
Word is Bond + Cinema Athletica teach young Black men about film making!
Check out these behind the scenes pictures of the GOTE Mentality workshop led by filmmaker Jared Leaf.
“Access changes everything. I wanted these young creatives to see that careers in film and storytelling are real, achievable paths for people like them, and provide them with an experience that’s fun, competitive, and engaging. Sometimes all you need is an entry point.”
Jared is the director of CHURCHY Season 2 on BET+ as well as the writer and director of Spilled Milk, a short film produced under Jordan Peale’s Monkeypaw Productions.
During the workshop, Jared, along with his mentor Vijay Rajan, who flew from Detroit to support the workshop, taught Word is Bond ambassadors all the behind the scenes elements of writing directing a film. The interactive workshop concluded with live filming with a full film crew.
A big thank you to Jared, his company Cinema Atheltica and his crew who volunteered & collaborated on on this event. A special thank you to Joe Bowden for opening his studio Desert Island Studio, for hosting the event.
Special thanks to for photography along with and several others for making the event a huge success.
Word is Bond is 501(c)(3) nonprofit leadership incubator for young Black men based out of Portland, Oregon. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at wordisbond.org
Stay tuned for Word is Bond’s next project that opens new opportunities and career paths for young Black men.
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02/10/2026
📚CALLING LOCAL SCHOOLS📓
Plans class field trip to visit the WE ARE BACK HOME 🤎🌍🌹 Art Exhibition.
This art exhibition features local Black youth who traveled to Ghana for a leadership expedition.
A perfect field trip for Black History Month. Inspire students, connect with history, talk about the future!
This is an exhibit for all ages, we are available for private tours during the day for schools, classes and students orgs like BSU for K-12 and colleges.
Email [email protected] to schedule and inquire about availability.
WE ARE BACK HOME 🤎🌍👑 is open now through March 31st.
See you soon!
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Portland, OR
97217
