North American esports organisation Evil Geniuses has announced a partnership with Cxmmunity, an Atlanta-based non-profit company focused on increasing minority participation and representation within esports.
As a result of the agreement, Evil Geniuses has cemented a direct relationship with multiple student populations in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States. These include Morehouse College, North Carolina Central University, Oakwood University, Johnson C. Smith University, as well as 16 other institutes.
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In accordance with the newly established partnership, Evil Geniuses will ensure that 25 per cent of its candidacies for the ‘Genius League’, the organisation’s professional internship programme, will go towards applicants from HBCUs that are reached through this relationship.
The Genius League internship programme is a development initiative that trains college students on the professional demands of running various departments of a top-tier esports organisation.
Anthony Scala, Collegiate Lead at Evil Geniuses commented: “Today marks the continuation of an ongoing commitment that we have to underrepresented communities within gaming and esports.
“We’ve focused on establishing a ‘front office path-to-pro’ to fuel passion within all aspects of the industry. By partnering with Cxmmunity to speak directly to the professional talent pool within HBCUs, we’re enriching the culture of the gaming ecosystem and giving back to the community that’s given so much to us.”
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Inclusion of HBCU candidates into Genius League is one of the many aspects formalised as part of the collaboration. Other initiatives include on-campus virtual events, with other activities set to be announced and rolled out throughout 2021.
According to the press release, multiple Genius League candidates have already transitioned and made the leap from college intern to full-time employees within Evil Geniuses since its inception last year.
Chris Peay, Co-Founder of Cxmmunity added: “In my experience with HBCUs, often the most prominent hurdle is access to viable employment opportunities within emerging industries.
“Evil Geniuses is the perfect organisation to surmount the opportunity gap for these talented candidates and help them translate their passion for the industry into a lasting career.”
Esports Insider says: Contributing to minority representation and participation is a massive part of any industry. The work that Evil Geniuses are doing with Cxmmunity can only be seen as a fantastic opportunity to grow and diversify the esports ecosystem.