Our Mission: To build positive relationships between young Black men and law enforcement. Word is Bond was founded in 2017 by a group of concerned Portland, OR residents. Our mission is direct and inspired: to build positive relationships between young Black men and law enforcement. Word is Bond is supported by Portland Opportunities Industrial Opportunities (POIC), Northwest Outward Bound and the Portland Police Bureau. Our organization is lead by youth leaders who build leaderships skills, outreach and organize in the community and create workshops and other events to build trust and understanding between the community and law enforcement. We believe in initializing the power of storytelling to build, inspire create understanding between community members.