Learn by doing.
Fitness, creative projects, job readiness, and sisterhood give young people different ways to discover their strengths.
Reach every young person we can.
Black Men In Training mentors Portland youth through fitness, creative learning, job readiness, and sisterhood.
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Build strength. Practice discipline.
Through fitness, boxing, and nutrition, BFIT helps young people practice focus, discipline, and emotional regulation.
Find strength in sisterhood.
BWIT gives young Black women a community to build confidence, develop leadership, and know their worth.
A community to grow with.
BMIT brings young people, families, and mentors together through shared experiences, honest conversations, and care.
Guidance. Skills.
A place to belong.
Brother Will founded BMIT in Portland in 1995 after losing his younger brother to gang violence. His response was to give young people guidance, practical skills, and a community that helps them know their worth.
Our story and missionOur work centers Black youth and welcomes the broader community.
Youth and young adults ages 5–24. Contact our team about program fit, current activities, and availability.
10534 NE Sandy BoulevardPortland, Oregon 97220
HOW BMIT WORKS
Programs open the door.
Relationships carry it forward.
Young people train, create, talk, and learn with mentors. The activity is a starting point for skills they can use in everyday life.
Practice how to respond.
Recognize feelings. Listen to others. Work through disagreement with self-respect. Emotional regulation and conflict resolution are part of every program.
Grow with people you can count on.
Mentors and intensive case managers support young people and families. Brotherhood and sisterhood connect the work across all four programs.
Four programs.
Skills for everyday life.
Different interests. Different ways to learn. Every program connects practical experiences with mentorship, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution.
BEBlack ElevationPrepare for what’s next.Practice resumes, applications, and presenting yourself at work. Group discussion builds self-awareness and respectful communication.SKILLS TO CARRY FORWARDListening and speaking with self-respect.BFITBlack Fitness In TrainingTrain with confidence.Boxing, fitness, and nutrition connect physical skills with discipline. Learn to handle conflict while keeping your confidence and self-respect.SKILLS TO CARRY FORWARDDiscipline and choosing how to respond.STEAMScience, Technology, Engineering, Arts & MathematicsMake something. Share an idea.Explore music, media, art, design, and coding. Creating together means listening to different ideas and communicating with respect.Activities launch on a rolling basis.SKILLS TO CARRY FORWARDCreative expression and collaboration.BWITBlack Women In TrainingBuild leadership in sisterhood.Women facilitators guide young Black women through mentorship, academic success, and leadership. Sisterhood creates room to recognize your worth.SKILLS TO CARRY FORWARDSelf-worth and respectful relationships.
How do four programs
build one foundation?
Different activities give young people ways to practice the same skills.
Emotional regulation, self empowerment, discipline, community, and conflict resolution run through every program.
Meet BMIT.
See our mentors, young people, and community in action.
REACH AND RELATIONSHIPS
Support that means
something to a family.
1,404
Youth served in 2024, according to BMIT’s published impact figures.
Explore the published impact“BMIT was there as a source of support. They have been instrumental in his overall improvement.”
The BMIT Program film · 3:06
COUNTY PARTNERSHIP
Community Healing Initiative (CHI)
BMIT works with Multnomah County through CHI, bringing mentorship and community support to young people and their families.
Find a starting point.
Share your young person’s interests and goals. Find out which activities are available and what participation involves.
Have questions before registering? Talk with our team or call 503-853-1967.
People you can
count on.
Meet the leaders and intensive case managers who support young people and families.
Black Men In Training
BMIT
Guidance, opportunity, and a community to grow with.
Management
Brother Will
Founder of BMIT
A motivational speaker, trainer, certified boxing coach, father, and mentor who has spent more than 31 years developing youth and strengthening families.
Brother Nolan
Executive Director & Co-Founder
A certified mediator and conflict resolution specialist, mentor, entrepreneur, and father. Raised in NE Portland, his experiences at the House of Umoja and in Italy shape his approach to leadership.
Brother Ja’Marian
Program Director
Brings a background in exercise science and personal training to youth development.
Intensive Case Managers
Brother Nick
Intensive Case Manager
A mentor who shares practical life guidance, keeps haircuts lined up, and brings a few laughs while helping young men grow without losing who they are.
Brother Tae
Intensive Case Manager
A Portland-born entrepreneur building opportunities and a legacy, showing the next generation what is possible through hard work and determination.
Black Women In Training
BWIT
Confidence, connection, and the strength of sisterhood.
Management
Sister Michelle
Director of BWIT
An advocate, author, and speaker leading BWIT. She helps young Black women recognize their worth, build confidence, and step boldly into their future.
Intensive Case Managers
Sister Sharita
Intensive Case Manager
A public servant, full-spectrum doula, community leader, and BWIT mentor helping young Black women know their worth and step into their power.
Sister Tanarra
Intensive Case Manager
Helps youth know their worth, build confidence, embrace discipline, and believe in what they can become through BMIT and BWIT.
Sister Lydia
Intensive Case Manager
Our board.
Steve Rallison
Board Chair
A shared experience of tragic loss deepens Steve’s connection to BMIT. Inspired by Brother Will and Brother Nolan’s dedication, he supports a lasting commitment to young people.
Brother John
BMIT Board Member
A mentor, HR leader, and founder of Reliable Recruitment Services with more than 24 years of experience, helping young men find direction and prepare to lead.
Hear from our community.
Explore more reflections from the people connected to BMIT.
Read community reflections