DALLAS — When you’re working on a diverse team, you’re likely to outwork another team where everyone is more alike, according to a study done by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.  

Increasing representation in different career fields takes a lot of outreach. A South Dallas man is aiming to do just that in the world of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Many jobs in this field heavily lack people of color. The National Science Foundation says it’s an industry that’s 89% white. 

Being comfortable is the key for David Williams. He is a man who also is anything but boring. His at-home office has a basketball goal, he wears sneakers with his sports coat at work, and he’s not a bad dancer. 

The South Dallas native who is also a Black man, shows up every day to his job as an engineer and inventor for AT&T, to prove you can come from anywhere and achieve anything. He says the color of your skin shouldn’t box you in.

You’ll never find Williams’ picture next to the word “traditional" in the dictionary. The fact that he’s different, compared to the majority in his career field, is what makes him good at his job. So, good, he just won the 2021 Rodney Atkins Black Engineer Award for creating a way for 40,000 people at AT&T to work from home and still safely process sensitive information from customers. Before the process could only be done in corporate offices because of federal security regulations. 

“To put it into perspective it’s like a corporate Oscar or something,” explained Williams. 

Growing up without a lot, he learned how to be crafty and innovative. 

“I think about it in terms of underprivileged communities or inner city communities, are often folks who are born and grew up living under the mantra of, making a dollar out of 15 cents,” he said. 

South Dallas is a place where making it out of the hood usually means being a 5-star recruit in football or basketball. Williams' life doesn’t make sense on paper. To be a Black man in STEM means he beat the odds of poverty or jail time.  

“There are folks from that community that I think about that are just as smart and just as driven. They just don’t have the exposure to go out and go do those things,” Williams declared.  

What Williams is saying is that anyone possesses the power to be whatever they want to be, they just have to see it first. He had a mentor growing up, which helped to change the trajectory of his life in the most positive way. A constant reminder of his journey is seen through a timeline of pictures on the walls of his at-home office.  

Williams doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge that he did not get to this point in his life by himself. He is reciprocating the guidance given to him to a new generation of potential STEM leaders.  

“Having someone a little bit more relatable to you comes from their circumstance or their neighborhoods that do things that they might want to do or have a passion for is something that I’m extremely passionate about,” Williams said.