Xbox introduces "Project Amplify," a program to assist Black youth in breaking into the expanding gaming industry, in pride of the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week celebrated in the United States.
Project Amplify's Purpose
Following a report from Eurogamer, the project is a video series that aims to highlight Black peoples' voices within Xbox to encourage young people in the US to pursue careers in the gaming industry by using real-life accounts from Black executives and employees throughout the Xbox corporate system.
In the project teaser video, which was released on Friday, Sept. 23, fourteen Black Xbox professionals share their stories of struggle and success. The speakers provide useful advice to Black youth who want to enter the video game industry but see racial identity as a hindrance.
Black People in the Gaming Industry
Each of the featured Xbox employees will share their perspectives on their jobs as well as some wonderful career highlights. This is especially critical to discuss. Fortune reported that only 2% of the video game industry is Black. This is significantly low because Black people make up 13% of the total US population.
In recent years, Black professionals in the gaming industry organized a foundation with the goal of cultivating, supporting, and promoting Black professionals in the industry. This was in response to the escalating calls for Black rights following the murder of George Floyd.
The Black in Gaming Foundation is geared to "empower the next generation of Black game developers with support and sponsorship from partners and a community designed for advocacy." Creating opportunities for Black people in the video game industry is a priority for BIG, which also actively works to address institutionalized racism by developing plans of action.
"I want more people to know that they have options, nothing is impossible or out of reach for them, and encourage those to start chasing their passions early," says Q Muhaimin, a product manager from Xbox.
Xbox is collaborating with 2022 Revolt Summit x AT&T to launch the previously stated meaningful activity. Based on a recent Xbox blog, the event will take place on Sept. 24 and 25. The activity consists of a series of panel discussions featuring Xbox professionals and an audience of hopeful Black youth in Atlanta, Georgia.
More About 'Project Amplify'
You can learn more about the project by watching their initial project teaser video below. In addition, the Xbox blog post containing the project announcement and rationale includes a free programming fundamentals guide, which you can read for free here.
Back in February, the gaming platform celebrated Black History Month with a series of activities designed to bring people together and foster joy, creativity, and teamwork. Gaming camps, donation drives, and video premieres were all part of the event. This is a commendable move by the gaming console powerhouse.
