Bungie has been one of a handful of developers in recent years that has tactfully handleddiscussions regarding racial injustice and inequalityin and out of the games industry. Now, they’re taking that one step further with their Black at Bungie initiative.
In a tweet on Monday, Bungie announced the initiative as well as its mission statement. The first of these is what the studio has dubbed Inclusion Clubs. Its purpose is to shine a spotlight on the Black talent and creatives within the studio while giving them an outlet to connect with peers as well as allies to tackle issues big and small.
Inclusion Clubs are an extension of the Bungie Diversity Committee whose purpose is to not only address company-wide issues of diversity and inclusion, but to allow their employees from marginalized groups to have access to the tools they need to pursue the causes that they feel need to be addressed. That was how Inclusion Clubs came about which led to the creation of Black at Bungie.
Black at Bungie’s launch also aligned closely to the many protests happening across the United States in the wake of numerous instances of injustice and police brutality. The club assisted Bungie in taking a stance and had a hand in the statements the studio made in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
We have a long way to go in this industry as well as in the world at large before we can truly be considered inclusive to people of all walks of life. Many people of color are underrepresented in the content they consume as well as in the development processes. Movements such as Black at Bungie are small steps in a much larger journey to true inclusivity within the industry and also allow us all to engage in sometimes difficult and uncomfortable conversations that shouldn’t be ignored. If more studios and creators with large-scale platforms use their voices to amplify those of the Black community and other marginalized groups, then that is one more step towards more inclusive experiences. And no one loses when everyone is properly represented.
