Hail to These Black Women Gaming Queens Leading The Pack

The gaming world can be a place of self-discovery, expression, exploration, and community — it’s no wonder so many take heed to its calling. Black women have been traditionally underrepresented in the video game industry, but thankfully, a new day is dawning. 

Jay-Ann Lopez –
Credit: Chanel Moye

In honor of Women’s History Month, meet these five Black women who are quite literally changing the game. 

1. Jay-Ann Lopez
   British author and blogger Jay-Ann Lopez founded Black Girl Gamers in 2015 after struggling to find community in the online gaming world. Fed up with sexism and racism she encountered during gameplay, Lopez created the Black Girl Gamers Facebook group, as a space for community and support. 

These days, Black Girl Gamers has over 7K members in its Facebook group and over 30K Twitch followers from around the world. No longer limited to strictly online, the group has grown into a full-blown establishment, offering workshops, events, and even a talent agency that represents up and coming streamers. 

2. Briana Williams

Inspired by watching other Black gamers like xChaseMoney stream, longtime gamer Briana Williams (better known as Storymodebae) quickly realized the community was full of others like her, despite the algorithm’s suggestion.

Soon, over 30K of those gamers would become her loyal followers, lovingly known as the Bae Brigade, after viewing her streaming live gameplay and hosting events like the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I’m hoping that what I have done, so far, has left a positive mark and impact on everyone I’ve encountered, and I just can’t wait to see what the future has in store.” (via Lifewire.com)

3. Stephanie Ijoma
   Stephanie Ijoma’s love of gaming started when she was young, as it does for many gamers. What began as an obsession with games like The Sims grew into a passion for Ijoma, eventually leading her to create NNESAGA, which has become one of the U.K.’s leading gaming and entertainment platforms.  

NNESAGA’s mission is to be a safe space within the gaming scene as well as a champion for inclusivity and equality in the industry. Having worked with Playstation, XBOX, Ubisoft, and more, NNESAGA is a major player in changing the future of gaming as we know it.

4. Natasha Zinda
   Activist, mother of three, and self-proclaimed “Blerd” (read: “Black nerd”), Natasha Zinda gained notoriety streaming her gameplay on Twitch under the alias Zombaekillz. 

Zinda embraces variety, also using her channel to have discussions about social issues and raise funds for charities like No Kid Hungry. 

Through her powerful streams on her own channel and thought-provoking appearances on pods like “Spawn Like Me,” Zinda rewrites the rules with her brand of “Black, radical kindness.” 

5. Katie Robinson
   Outspoken and bold, the Twitch partner, and Black Girl Gamers team member commonly known as PikaChulita prides herself on creating content that inspires marginalized people to be unabashedly themselves.
   
   Being the niece of civil rights activist, Alfred “Skip” Johnson, social justice is a part of who Robinson is. Robinson’s streams are both fun and mission-based, with the streamer frequently speaking out on injustices within the gaming community and the world at large.

Teaming up with partners like EA, and frequently streaming for charity, Robinson aims to influence the world through action.

Learn and stream more by following the links below: :

• https://www.twitch.tv/blackgirlgamers
• https://www.twitch.tv/storymodebae
• https://www.twitch.tv/nnesaga
• https://www.twitch.tv/zombaekillz
• https://www.twitch.tv/pikachulita