© 2024 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
WBFO Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Your NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WBFO presents a five-part series on race relations -- bringing people together to talk about equity, white privilege, systemic racism and diversityInspired by the intimate style of NPR’s Story Corps, the discussions feature a Buffalo-area person of color in dialogue with someone who is white.Facilitated by WBFO reporter Thomas O’Neil White, the conversations feature people with different backgrounds but similar occupations or fields of interests. In addition to the short feature heard on-air and featured in each of the stories below , extended versions of the conversations are also available here.The Racial Equity Project is funded by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.If you'd like to participate in future conversations, email news@wbfo.org

WNY Conversations About Race: Stephen Tucker and Paul Vukelic

Provided photo

Making businesses across Western New York more racially inclusive is not an overnight process, but for Northland Workforce Training Center President and CEO Stephen Tucker, “It’s critically important.

"I don’t think we will be able to reach the full potential of our nation unless we have a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce. That’s the only way we can all really live up to the American Dream," Tucker says.

Try-It Distributing President and CEO Paul Vukelic believes change must come from the top down.

“As business leaders, I believe we lead by example,” he said. “We need to support organizations of color and organizations that serve these communities. We also need to prepare our management teams on what it means to be Black in American. I think that is really important.”

Tucker and Vukelic shared their thoughts on their upbringing, the challenges they have faced, and what white privilege means to them as part of WBFO's series WNY Conversations About Race. 

The 5-part radio series includes Black and white activists, clergymen, educators and business people talking about racism, empathy and diversity in Western New York on-air this week, with extended versions of those edited  conversations available online each day or as a bonus afternoon edition of the WBFO Brief podcast.

Both Tucker and Vukelic grew up in households that stressed the “can do” spirit.

“I was always taught to treat people fairly,” said the Cincinnati-born Tucker. “I was in the military, the United States Air Force for four years which also re-emphasized those values which my parents instilled in me. I also grew up in a church household, so do unto others do unto you, the golden rule, has really been something I’ve tried to live my life by.”

Credit submitted photo
Paul Vukelic, CEO, Try-It Distributing

Vukelic was similarly raised in a religious household, but not in a very racially diverse neighborhood.

“I grew up primarily in Orchard Park, New York,” he said. “I can say basically your typical white suburban environment. Respect others, hard work, attention to detail, respecting other’s beliefs, the whole nine yards.”

As one of the few Black C.E.O.’s in Western New York, Tucker said white privilege is so ingrained in the structure of business that he has difficulty defining it.

“I actually didn’t really, I don’t want to say understand it,” he said. “But it wasn’t necessarily a situation where I saw white privilege, because that’s just the way it was. When that’s the norm, you really don’t have a name for it.”

Vukelic credits his wife with helping him come to terms with the fact he is a beneficiary of white privilege.

“I know it’s hard for me to accept it,” he said. “It’s just hard to accept that you’re privileged, especially when you relate it to the color of your skin.”

biz_long_web.mp3
BONUS MATERIAL: Hear an extended Conversation about race with Tucker, Vukelic and WBFO's Thomas O'Neil-White

The WBFO Racial Equity Project is funded by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. If you’d like to participate in future conversations, email news@wbfo.org.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Thomas moved to Western New York at the age of 14. A graduate of Buffalo State College, he majored in Communications Studies and was part of the sports staff for WBNY. When not following his beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats and Boston Red Sox, Thomas enjoys coaching youth basketball, reading Tolkien novels and seeing live music.
Related Content