In My Shoes is an interactive community walking tour project curated and facilitated by the community ambassadors of Word is Bond. The project features walking tours in neighborhoods across. The tours are designed to highlight the voices, dreams, and experiences of rising Black men as well as the neighborhoods in which they live. Through personal stories, music, and poetry, tours address topics of race, class, community investment, gentrification, community safety, and equity.
You’re invited to come listen, learn, and reflect on the stories of young Black men that are not often told or listened to
In addition to our In My Shoes project which happens annually in February in celebration of Black History Month, we host a 5K community tour that takes place in September, and private tours can be scheduled throughout the year on a sliding payscale for organizations and businesses
Second annual 5K Community Walk, September 2nd!
Lace up your walking shoes (or wheels) and join Word is Bond for our 2nd annual In My Shoes 5k Community Walk!
The 5K Community Walk is an annual opportunity for community members to gather, get in some healthy exercise, uplift voices often unheard in Portland, and celebrate the rich fabric of our collective community.
The walk starts in the heart of Lower Albina at the parking lot outside of the Left Bank Building and makes a loop down MLK Boulevard before crossing into Oldtown/China Town and finishing back in Lower Albina.
This year’s theme is “Believe in Portland” in collaboration with our current campaign with Old Town Pizza and Brewing to inspire everyday Portlanders to come together to believe in the greatness of our city. This is the first activation event of the campaign so don't forget to wear your "Believe in Portland" T-shirt, buy one online in advance, or purchase one at the event. $10 of each shirt goes toward local nonprofits.
Attendees will get their steps in with the heart-health 5K walk, hear from community members, local business owners, and elected leaders along the route about why they believe in Portland and learn about different ways to get involved in the community.
Enjoy hotdogs, veggie dogs, and burgers hot off the grill from our friends at Portland Fire Department at the conclusion of the walk, along with light refreshments, and snacks.
Open to folks of all backgrounds and walks of life. Wheelchairs, strollers, and all other wheeled mobility devices are encouraged as needed. No bikes, skateboards, or other wheeled sports equipment, please.
This event is free. Donations are tax-deductible and encouraged and can be made here. All proceeds go towards leadership programs to empower young Black men.
Don’t forget to wear your “Believe in Portland” T-shirt! See you Saturday, September, 2nd at 9 am.
In My Shoes Juneteenth 2023! | (Past Event)
Join Word is Bond for a special celebration of Juneteenth, with two limited editions of our popular In My Shoes walking torus! On our first tour at 10 am, we return to the Cully neighborhood, with the Dream Chasers tour. The tour traverses one of Portland’s most diverse neighborhoods, with themes of immigration, Islam, and of course, chasing dreams.
Our second tour at 1 pm is our brand new Lower Albina Tour, which traces its way from the heart of the Historic Albina neighborhood with a focus on Harriet Tubman Middle School, the reclaiming of lost land, and the recent pledged investment of $400 Million by Phil Knight.
During the tours, you will also learn history and facts about Juneteenth, and hear excerpts of historical speeches including Frederick Douglas’s famous speech,” What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
Both tours are on a sliding scale of $25 with funds raised going to support our upcoming trip to Ghana in West Africa on July 2nd. We will also be collecting supplies to bring with us to Ghana which include gently used clothes, educational supplies including books, pens, and art supplies, and gently used technology including cell phones, tablets, and laptops. All supplies that we cannot take will be donated to local charities and organizations.
Our Juneteenth tours are supporting our upcoming trip to Ghana
Walking Tour Dedication
The 2023 In My Shoes Walking Tours are dedicated in memory of Tatiana Marion, 1992 - 2022, who passed away last year of small cell ovarian cancer. Tatiana was a proud resident of North Portland, who was a passionate advocated for Black lives and a proud supporter of Word is Bond and our mission. Tatiana was one of the many attendees of last year’s original tours. She is survived by many family and friends and missed dearly. This year’s tours are in her memory.
In My Shoes on the news!
Check out our news articles here!
Our youth ambassador, Girmy Kiflemariam, joined reporter Bryant Clerkley from KGW 8 to talk about his walking tour in New Columbia. Thanks Girmy for showing some of Portland around your neighborhood!
Thank you Bryant for having us!
Je'Kai Kazmende was featured on The Columbian for his In My Shoes walking tour in Vancouver called "My Side of The Water". Thank you Nika Bartoo-Smith for covering our event!
During his tour, youth ambassador, Jahad Hudson, spoke about his tour in his Woodlawn Neighborhood for a segment on The Oregonian. Thank you Mark Graves from The Oregonian!
Youth ambassador, Jahad Hudson, spoke about his upcoming tour in his Woodlawn Neighborhood for a segment on KOIN 6.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The second annual In My Shoes walking tours are underway across eight neighborhoods in Portland and Vancouver.
The tours are part of a story-telling campaign happening every Saturday in celebration of Black History Month, being put on by Word is Bond.
“It’s fun to put myself out there and find out what I like to do,” said Baba. “I feel like Word is Bond helps me as a person.”
Word is Bond 'Dream Chaser’s Walk' takes County leaders, community members on trek highlighting the voices, experiences and vision of rising Black men
In My Shoes 2023
In Celebration of Black History Month, we invited you to step into the lives of young Black men across the greater Portland metro area. Community members of all backgrounds and walks of life were invited to walk and listen to the narratives of the Word is Bond Community Ambassadors who are a part of the next generation of Portland leaders. A generation of aspirations, ideas, and courage. In My Shoes features uniquely curated walking tours of eight Portland neighborhoods where our ambassadors live. Each tour was unique, reflecting the rich diversity of Black stories and experiences in our community. In My Shoes presents an opportunity to listen, learn, and take action.
Mycah Alemseghed’s “Whose World is This?”tour
“Really learning about each of those places, the market, the art center I have passed a million times but never stopped, details on the reality of school which I knew vaguely is very sad and clearer now, and we went on to enjoy jerk chicken and fried plantains at the Jamaican place on commercial and Killingworth (very good!:)). Also learned more about the detrimental effects of demonstrations purported to be in the name of black lives matter. THANK YOU!”
-”Whose world is this?” tour attnedee
Girmy Kiflemariam’s “We The North” tour
“Girmy, you killed it! Thanks for sharing your stories with us so we can experience your neighborhood through your eyes. I'm excited for you to visit Washington DC and meet our representatives. Keep it up!” -”We the North” tour attendee
Portland Public School In My Shoes Community Walk | January 14
Portland Public Schools partnered with Word is Bond to host a community walk through the historic Albina neighborhood to glean inspiration about the possibilities of the Center for Black Student Excellence.
Word is Bond offered two youth-led tours for PPS on Saturday, January 14, one for students and families, and a second for staff and partners. The interactive tour traced the history of the historic Albina neighborhood and the Black residents who call it home. Along the tour, participants were prompted to discuss the experiences of Black students in PPS schools and how the upcoming Center for Black Student Excellence can improve outcomes for Black students.
Inaugural In My Shoes 5k Walk, September 9, 2022
Inaugural In My Shoes Walking Tours, February 2022
Testimonials
“I am genuinely enjoying this project so much. As I grow older, reminiscing on my childhood and my neighborhood means so much more. I see the values and lessons that were taught to me through my neighborhood. Being able to do these walking tours brings me back to who I am and what I’m about. It lets me express and see the beauty in each and every neighborhood. We may live in different situations but in the end, we’re all young motivated Black men.”—Ted, Word is Bond Community Ambassador
“It is my sincere hope that every police officer in our city will have the opportunity to participate in these types of walking tours in the future with Word is Bond. This tour, as well as the entire summer Word is Bond Rising Leaders program, made me a better police officer and more importantly, a better person.” -Officer Kyle Hefley, Portland Police Bureau
Community members pose after completing the Mt. Scott neighborhood tour led by Tesahe. February 2022. Photo by Brett Brown.