Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

The Hilltop

HBCU

Gen. G and McDonalds Launch Esports Gaming Conference for HBCU Students

McDonalds and Gen G, a non-profit esports organization, launched an online conference where metropolitan Washington, D.C. HBCU students competed in video game tournaments and engaged in live panels with professional esports athletes.

By Kai Blair, Staff Reporter

Photo Courtesy of unsplash.com

McDonalds and Gen G, a non-profit esports organization, launched an online conference where metropolitan Washington, D.C. HBCU students competed in video game tournaments and engaged in live panels with professional esports athletes. 

The partnership aims to expand the opportunity gap between the gaming and esports industry. Cxmunity, an esports organization whose mission is to increase minorities’ participation in gaming, helped organize the event and bring the athletes together. 

African American leaders within the esports industry hosted live Rocket League and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournaments filled with minority esports players during the conference held on Nov. 12 and 13. Tournament winners walked away with cash prizes and bragging rights for their respective schools. 

The event also included keynote speakers sharing tips on broadcast production, creating software, and digital designing. Anthony Moorman, a commentator and former professional esports gamer, spoke about the importance of Fortune 500 companies supporting minorities and gaming.

“A Fortune 500 company putting the limelight on an event like this for minorities is huge. It’s kind of letting minorities know they aren’t stuck in certain fields,” Moorman said.

Through the conference, HBCU students in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area met others with a similar passion for esports. Ahmad Whitaker, Rocket League Captain of Howard University’s Esports team, talked about how special and competitive it was playing with other HBCU students.

“Playing with other HBCU students was amazing. Even when a team was winning, there was a certain amount of respect in the game even if there was a huge disparity in skill level. It was still very fun to play,” Whitaker said. 

“We made it to the finals and ended up losing to our rivals: Morgan State. They just outplayed us,” he added. 

Copy edited by Ashleigh Fields

Advertisement

You May Also Like

NEWS

Attorneys general filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for children of non-citizen parents, arguing that it’s “unconstitutional.”

Variety

The horror film “Companion” performed steadily at the box office while opening up a conversation about the developing relationship of technology and humanity in...

SPORTS

The “Battle of the Real H.U.” rivalry has Bison divided on its significance following a one-point loss in overtime to the Hampton University’s men...

CAMPUS

A soon-to-be Howard Law professor was among the 67 victims of last week’s plane crash, of which EMS Chief John Donnelly confirmed no survivors...

NEWS

Some teachers warn that cuts to the Department of Education funding could worsen existing challenges in resource-strapped classrooms, potentially increasing educational disparities for D.C.’s...

NEWS

The Trump Administration’s Jan. 20 executive order calls for an end to antisemitism, threatening to cancel student visas and deport pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Variety

Manuel Oliver transforms his loss into activism, using art, storytelling and emotion to honor his son and challenge America’s gun violence epidemic.

Columns

Trump’s administration’s use of “flooding the zone” to overwhelm the public with rapid policy changes creates confusion and fatigue. How can we resist fear...

CAMPUS

Bestselling author and historian Ibram X. Kendi will leave his role at Boston University to oversee a new research center at Howard.

NEWS

President Donald Trump’s Administration temporarily halted its directive to freeze federal funding but later indicated the freeze will remain in effect. The initial order...

Variety

The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s third annual Day of Action shined a light on the work of Fred Gray and his legacy of transformative...

SPORTS

With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, The Hilltop’s sports staff gave their predictions on who will win in football's biggest showdown.

INVESTIGATIVE

In the first three weeks of the spring semester, four crimes were reported near Howard’s campus including a shooting and multiple armed robberies.

Variety

Howard alumna and Empify CEO Ashley M. Fox has garnered notable attention for her investment in financial education inside marginalized communities.

Columns

In a world oversaturated with advertisements, constant exposure shapes consumer preferences and fuels decision fatigue. How does advertising influence us, and how can we...