Regina Gibbons is the Founder of Y-Knot inc, a nonprofit volunteer-driven community support group providing mentoring programs for middle and high school youth in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The program is is designed out of a direct need for the growing number of youth that are struggling in school, facing social issues or heavily entangled in the juvenile court system.
PG Proud Magazine spoke with Regina about her nonprofit, why she started it and her broader vision for the organization.
Tell us about Y-Knot Inc and the story behind why you started this nonprofit?
In 2018, I was on the Metro going to work and I sat beside some young ladies who were probably between the ages of 12 and 13. They were having a loud conversation about something inappropriate, and I thought “is this is what our 12 and 13-year-olds are really talking about?”
I’m listening, and I’m thinking, okay, I have to say something.
But I’m also thinking, we’re not in a time where you could just approach people without it being an issue or a problem. I noticed an older couple sitting to the left of me, and I saw the grandmother grab the husband in reaction to the conversation the young girls were having. So, I made a decision that I was going to say something to them.
I told the young ladies their conversation is one that I wouldn’t have with my own friends at my age and would never even think to have it out loud in public. I received the typical response of “you’re not my mother and you can’t tell me what to do.” I told them they were right about me not being their mother but that I am a black woman who cares about our young black women.
I got off the train, got to my desk and called my close friend. I told her that I needed to start a nonprofit because our young ladies were missing something. I did no work that whole day because I was so focused on what this nonprofit was going to do, how it was going to start, what I was going to teach and why I was going to do it.
What steps did you take in the beginning?
My focus at first was contemplating how I could change the world by getting the youth to understand who they are and how great they can be. I started there.
I began crafting a program where I analyzed myself and what made me who I am today. However, the trajectory of my life has been such that I’ve never gotten into any trouble. I’ve done some positive things and so I thought back to the people who poured into me and what they poured into me.
I knew that self-esteem was important because we don’t have those conversations. If we have high self-esteem, we don’t allow people to believe those things about us or say those things. So I knew that we had to work on self-esteem.
I also knew that we had to work on motivation and discipline. I wanted to teach young people how to motivate themselves and help them find them shape a vision for their lives.
Self-esteem, motivation and discipline. Those were the three pillars that I grew the program from.
Were the programs initially for both girls and boys when you started?
The programs have been for both from the beginning. I knew that if girls needed certain tools, so did the boys. They just need it from a different perspective. We have the same three pillars for the young ladies and the young men.
There is no judgment at Y-Knot Inc. This is about helping the youth get better at making decisions for their life.
You have experience working in the school system. Does that inform the way that you structure your programs and how you identify those areas of need?
I think it plays a major part and helps me lay a foundation for what I’ve seen the lack of.
In the education field, we always talk about at-risk students and how they are underserved. I’m of the mindset that those at-risk are also those kids who have everything they need but their parents just aren’t home. They are still missing major components.
They sometimes miss out on the lessons of how to work hard for things they want. They often miss the components of life that are going to make them well rounded individuals. So I don’t necessarily say that I serve a poor population or the underprivileged population. I serve anybody who needs assistance.
Because of what I saw in the schools, I saw the haves and the have nots, but unfortunately the behaviors were the same.
What do you enjoy most about running this nonprofit?
Watching change happen.
Knowing that I’ve influenced or affected someone’s life. Whether it’s 50 or 5,000 children, all of it feels the same to me. Because the premise of my mission is that I want to change the world one child, one family at a time. Every time I do that, it brings me joy and it validates why I do this.
What do you see for the future of Y-Knot Inc?
A charter school based around our three pillars: self-esteem, motivation and discipline.
In this society, you must be able to build relationships, and that’s what schools are missing. They’re missing the relationship building aspect.
They’re missing teaching our children how to take care of one another. They’re missing being kind to one another. They’re missing the pillars that create well-rounded individuals. We put a lot of emphasis on having the best grades, being the most popular, wearing the best clothes, graduating the top of your class and going to college.
Not the kid who had the best art project or the kid who made a whole school out of popsicle sticks. We don’t talk about the fact that that’s probably your next architect.
How do you think we can better inspire, include, and invest in our youth more?
By being transparent.
The things that these young people go through, we’ve never experienced it while still having to learn. We need to be more understanding. We need to be more inclusive, and we also need to be disciplinarians.
When you see a behavior that is not right, correct it.
Who has inspired you?
My mom is my biggest inspiration. Everything I do, I do because I saw her do it.
It wasn’t until her death that I realized how much she did as an educator. I had no idea the magnitude of the people she helped, and it wasn’t until her funeral that I realized how many lives she touched.
What book or podcast do you read or listen to?
I listen to a podcast by Dr. Darius Daniels, a preacher out of New Jersey. He’s down to earth and teaches lessons on leadership and development while drawing examples from the Bible.
I listen to him every morning. The sermons he delivers are both religious and inspirational.
I’m always reading leadership books, any leadership book. Leadership is a vital part of running a nonprofit and so I am always learning how to lead from where I am and show others how to lead.
What is the best advice that you have received?
To show up authentic every day because no one will ever have to question who you are. That’s who I try to be in every aspect of my life. I’m the same person when I go to work.
How can the community support your cause?
By continuing to invest in our youth, understanding that they have a mission, understanding that they have a purpose, and supporting our events. Majority of our events are free that we host. The community can support by getting the word out there about our events and programs.
Visit Yknotinc.com to learn more about programs and ways to support.
