Sony announces string of partnerships to support Black communities

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has partnered with four organisations dedicated to providing economic opportunities for Black communities.

The PlayStation maker said it intends to work with its new partners Black Girls Code, The Hidden Genius Project, Gameheads, and Black in Gaming to "evoke long-lasting change by improving access to the tech and gaming industry and building a better structure for Black voices to be heard."

Black Girls Code is working to foster more racial and gender diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) by helping African American girls and young women of color step into the industry. It develops and runs workshops and after-school programs focused on teaching coding and game design to those from underrepresented communities, and said the support from SIE will help accelerate its efforts. 

The Hidden Genius Project mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills using a student-centered, project-based approach. It will work with SIE to "reach more young people in more places."

Gameheads, meanwhile, uses video game design, development, and DevOps to engage and train youth of color in the Bay Area for careers in the tech and video game industries. It specifically aims to train young people aged between 15 and 25, and explains that the SIE partnership will help it "provide even more up-and-coming developers with the tools they need to transform the industry."

Finally, Black in Gaming (BIG) is striving to establish a global community of diverse professionals by increasing Pan-African representation within the video games industry. "Every BIG initiative drives toward the goal of expanding the influence of Black game professionals by growing the Black employed presence from 2 percent to 5 percent by 2025," said the organization, explaining it will enlist the help of SIE to achieve that goal.

SIE said it intends to form more strategic partnerships in the future, and will continue to engage, support, and celebrate the Black community though its 'Black@PlayStation' employee network.