Black Collegiate Gaming Association Kicks Off 2021 Gaming And Esports Programming

Black College Con, Women Got Game Summit connects women of color, Black college students to gaming industry.

The Black Collegiate Gaming Association (BCGA) makes its own mark during Black and Women’s History Months with two groundbreaking events. These events will introduce more college students of color to new career opportunities in the gaming/esports industry and celebrate women who are blazing trails in these male-dominated fields.

BCGA, the only collegiate esports and gaming company owned by an African American woman, kicks off its 2021 programming with “Black College Con.” The virtual gathering, held February 27 and 28, included two days of conversations, career networking and esports competitions. The gathering connected Black college students across the country with corporate partners and leaders in the gaming/esports industry, including PlayStation, GameStop, Riot Games, Xbox Game Studios, NASCAR and RIG, broadcast live on Twitter with more than 20 schools such as Florida A&M University, Jackson State University and Agnes Scott College participating.

In conjunction with Women’s History Month, on Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21, BCGA showcased and celebrated diverse women in the field while engaging college students with gaming activities through its Women Got Game Summit. The weekend event, also virtual, began with ‘Who Runs The World’, a conversation featuring successful women of all hues and backgrounds in the gaming industry. Students had direct contact with tech leaders to learn about potential internship and career opportunities through curated speed talks and meet-ups with companies, including corporate sponsors McDonald’s, Intel, HyperX Gaming and Hitmarker.

“This is the first time that events like this have been held in the gaming industry,” said Keshia Walker, founder and chairwoman of BCGA. “Students of color, for the first time, will have the opportunity to see and network with successful leaders in the industry and participate in fun gaming competitions for scholarships and prizes. They will also learn about a variety of career opportunities that can change the trajectories of their lives. African Americans and women of color are the most overlooked audiences in esports, gaming and overall tech industry; yet that is where the greatest opportunities lie. It is time to ascend from just consumers to being contributors and creators. BCGA is here to provide exposure and pathways to these promising fields. Our goal is to aid in creating future groundbreakers and trailblazers. They will be the next set of history makers.”

Students and schools interested in participating in Black College Con and/or Women Got Game may register at www.blackcollegecon.org and www.womengotgame.org. The Black Collegiate Gaming Association was established to provide education, access and career opportunities in the gaming and esports industry to Black and women of color college students. BCGA offers virtual and on-campus curriculums; intercollegiate video gaming competitions; internships and post-graduation job opportunities; team building and leadership training; professional development and networking events; scholarships and mentorships; and on-campus esports and gaming labs.

Chairwoman Keshia Walker launched BCGA in May of last year after more than 20 years of running a successful celebrity events and experiential marketing firm. She made history herself by being the first Black woman to enter the male-dominated field of collegiate gaming and esports. A graduate of Florida A&M University, her goal is to diversify the corporate gaming and tech industry. “I may be the first, but I will not be the last,” Walker said.