Fields champions DEI through his work as a facilitator and executive coach, impressively conducting more than 130 coaching sessions this year. He also created the FREEDOM from Racism training program, launched a speaker tour and continues to host and produce the “Positive Communication Habits and Thought Process” podcast. Viamedia’s prolific work centers around empowering leaders to create more inclusive environments.
Will AI help or hurt diversity and inclusion? I see AI being helpful, if based on pure instruction and the learning has uncorrupted base-level functions. The issue is, humans decide the prompts and responses are limits to how those responses are filtered.
What’s your boldest prediction about your industry in the next 10 years? I think the use of A.I. will be refined in a direction that enables or disables human connection. We are on the verge of the creator becoming overly dependent on that which was created. Our dependencies on technology will either empower deeper connection to our humanity or cause us to take our innate requirement for close, communal, and intimate relationships for granted. Assumptions of perceptions, feelings, tendencies, and needs being left to algorithms instead of vulnerable dialogue.
Has the internet created more inclusion or exclusion? Both. The power that technology represents is merely a tool that provides revelation, and elevation. It has, for those who desire connection, become a conduit for inclusion; making it easier than ever to connect and communicate varying viewpoints, perceptions and lived experiences. For those who desire exclusion or seek safetyism, it has provided unmitigated opportunities to create echo chambers where the discomfort of opposing viewpoints can be silenced or ostracized.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about diversity within your industry? The biggest misconception is that diversity is about benefiting a marginalized group. In reality, diversity is about removing mental barriers that form unhealthy constructs preventing the benefits hiding in the collective human experience. We each possess a cure for what is ailing someone or an organization. When antiquated decisions need new thoughts, but those in power do not include new thinkers for (pick a reason), stagnation occurs. Marginalization is geographical, though sight is often limited to what is seen. We must change how we look at things first, and then the things we look at change. What resides in the margins in one location often covers the entire page in another.
Advice I would give a recent graduate: Remember why you started your educational journey and have strong character. You cannot have both an easy life and strong character. The price of one is the other. Choose to have strong character; which is maintaining the commitment long after the emotion behind it has faded…or encounters fears that oppose it.
Why do you think DEI has come under attack by some? It is essentially a battle for balance between those suffering and those who are not under current circumstances. The needs of the people are always given a priority. If the predominant power structures represent a group that is not affected or doesn’t deem the effects of exclusion important, why would they prioritize diversity? If you define good and well by your life experience alone, then the suffering of others plays no role in how you move. Being exposed to DEIB often calls into question one’s perception of reality. I have heard it feels like one’s reality is threatened. It is a natural human tendency to dislike thoughts that question personal perceptions as we draw comfort from the certainty they provide. The longer we hold viewpoints the stronger our belief in those viewpoints become. Surrounded by others with similar thoughts and backgrounds only reinforced what is already believed.
What nonprofit are you proud to champion and why? I’m more than a little biased. I proudly champion Freedom Bridges program offered by a nonprofit partnership between PCHATP LLC and Bridge the Gap Lexington. I’m the head facilitator of Freedom Bridges, a training workshop designed to bridge communication gaps within communities caused by systemic racism and other factors that affect communal harmony. Our first pilot was a huge success, helping community health workers develop a deeper understanding around emotional and situational intelligence. Each class is exposed to experimental learning, history with context that connects instead of divides, and communication skills.
Who is an unsung DEI hero and why? Every child is an unsung hero. Students K-12 that have a vigor for interaction and relationship building become catalysts for new hearts in their adult counterparts.
What movie or show is must-watch for celebrating diversity? Snowpiercer. It is a show in its 5th and final season. It is the story of a dystopian future in which the world has frozen over. The plot is moved forward with hard decisions bending morality and ethics. It highlights diversity as those things that divide us become irrelevant in the face of sustaining existence and the ways in which power is wielded for the good of the many or the few.
What does work-life balance mean to you? It is an illusion. The scale is always fluctuating. I strive for harmony. Heavy on one side at times without causing detriment to the other.
Who would play you in a movie about your life? I asked Chat GPT and this is what it said “Based on what I know about you—your work with communication, life-coaching, and education, along with your interest in clear design and community engagement—you likely have a combination of professionalism, charisma, and strategic thinking. Someone like Idris Elba could be a great fit. He’s known for his commanding presence, leadership qualities, and ability to balance intellectual and emotional intelligence, which aligns with your communication and strategic expertise. Plus, his versatility would capture the different facets of your work, from business to education.” Who am I to disagree? 😉