Through its Corners to Colleges HBCU program, the Black Collegiate Gaming Association (BCGA) is looking to give minoritized high schoolers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the video game industry.

Founded in May 2020, the BCGA is committed to “creating future groundbreakers within the gaming and esports industry by providing students with the needed funds to start and finish college to further enhance the mission of creating a pipeline of students to enter the gaming and esports industry.”

Furthermore, the organization is particularly interested in “pivot[ing] Black and women of color college students into the overall gaming industry, not only as consumers, but as contributors.”

Now, the BCGA is furthering its efforts with the Corners to College program, giving high schoolers the chance to get a taste of the HBCU life while also gaining knowledge of the gaming and esports industry.

“First and foremost, the purpose of the Corners to Colleges program is to let high school students know that the gaming industry is more than just playing the video games at home,” Keshia Walker, founder and chair of BCGA, said, per The Atlanta Voice.

“Secondly, [they receive] exposure to HBCU life and what it’s like to stay at an HBCU,” she continued. “Third, [they’re introduced] to all things related to gaming and technology.”

Students participating in the program can receive a number of benefits, including scholarships to a BCGA member institution — which includes schools like Florida A&M University, Mississippi Valley State University, Edward Waters University, Florida Memorial University, Alabama State University, Alabama A&M University and Jackson State University.

Notably, Walker credits her nephew for inspiring her to create the program.

“I have to give all the credit to my nephew, who was 11 then. He told me that he wanted to get into esports and the gaming industry, but he didn’t see HBCUs that had the opportunity for him to attend that school and get into gaming and esports,” she said.

“I told my nephew I was going to do something to change that, and a week later, I started the Black Collegiate Gaming Association,” Walker added. “My mission and life calling are to help more students of color to get into this space, whether they attend an HBCU or not.”

Walker also spoke on the urgency of the matter, as — while the video game industry is a rapidly-growing field — only about 2% of gaming professionals are Black, according to Fortune.

“The numbers are dismal,” Walked began. “Less than 3% of the industry are Black in terms of corporate leadership, and less than half of the industry is women of color. Over 60% of everything around games are purchased by [Black people] and people of color, but we are underrepresented in decision-making in this space. BCGA was created to address that.”

She also touched on the sexism that exists within the video game sector — a reality that the BCGA is looking to challenge.

“This is a very male-dominated industry,” she added. “I have faced a lot of sexist issues. A lot of men in this industry are very threatened by women, and unfortunately, a lot of it is coming from men that look just like us. They are threatened by the fact that a woman is coming in and doing something about some areas that have been underserved for a long time.”

You can learn more about this game-changing initiative, as well as other events the BCGA helps put on, here.

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