What's Ray Saying?
Ray ChristianWhat's Ray Saying?
Storyteller Ray Christian shares personal stories as a sixty-something combat veteran, historian, and goat-wrangling father of six living in the rural mountains of Appalachia, all told through the fabric of centuries of Black history.
Storyteller Ray Christian shares personal stories as a sixty-something combat veteran, historian, and goat-wrangling father of six living in the rural mountains of Appalachia, all told through the fabric of centuries of Black history.
new podcast
What's Up with Ray?
Did Ray miss a meeting?
Story, memory and song
Adult children
with Nadia Bolz-Weber
Disappearing into the back room
A Ray story from Spooked
Boys vs Girls
A Ray story from Snap Judgment
Getting through a crack in the door
An unexpected trip
"Can I talk about this?"
stories from the stage
"He looked just like me."
Ray goes home.
Ray revisits the crossroads of becoming a man.
Ray gets a response from a 30-year-old letter.
Ray talks about performing in public. And not the fun kind.
Reintroducing the voice of Ray Christian.
Ray joins the military and his life changes in ways he never expected.
Ray interrogates his wardrobe.
Ray gets a shot. It wasn’t always this easy.
A new season of stories and history from Ray Christian.
In this episode, Ray explores the legacy of Black Children taken as slaves from Africa, growing up on Plantations and their social worth and development in America
Ray explores the complex history and relationship between Black Americans and the Native people of America.
Ray explores Black leadership from the 40s to now to reflect on it challenges and its legacies.
Ray explores Black leadership from the emergence of an elite class, with varying perspectives and experiences.
In this episode part 1 of a 3 part series on Black leadership, Ray explores the origins of Black influence and authority in America.
Ray explores the cultural and historical significance of Afro textured hair.
Ray explores the history and complicated relationship with Black Americans and the police
Ray explores Black American association with the South and why Black are concentrated in urban areas of the country.
Ray talks about Black American naming practice, history, traditions and conventions from slavery to the 20th century
Ray completes the long journey of getting his stories heard, tells his life story and puts storytelling in context
Ray continues to explore his storytelling journey after the Risk show. He talks about his appearance on the Moth Radio hour, a story in Readers Digest and his performance on Snap Judgment, the impact of this story and his...
This episode traces storytelling in African American culture, from its roots in Africa, through the Middle Passage and slavery, and continuing through time until today. Ray touches on interesting topics like which stories White people hear and...
Ray looks at the origins of a false narrative of Black American History, its racist origins, the founder of revisionist history regarding the Civil War and Reconstruction, along with its influence on American society today
Ray examines the nature of Black American assimilation into White culture.
Miseducation of the American Negro Revisited
What happens after death? Not in the metaphysical, existential sense. But quite literally, what happens after death? The history of the handling of bodies of Black decedents has been filled with interesting twists and turns, from blatant...
This special episode marks a dividing line between the old and new, where you were and where you're going, what was and what will be. Follow the journey from "seasoning" of slaves, to the life of a domestic worker in the 60's to current...
From the birth of this nation until today, Ray explores the complexities of life as a soldier of color in the US.
This episode is about food stamps and gov'ment cheese, what it meant, how it helped, how we felt about it then, and what we think about it now.
From the paper bag test and one drop rule to Rachel Dolezal, who is Black and why?
Ray details the hardships that Blacks experienced after slavery and explores the themes and patterns of struggle that continued through the generations and into his own life.
An introduction to Ray Christian.
Tropes - That Sounds Familiar
August 6, 202511min 34sec
In this mini-episode of What's Ray Saying?, Ray is joined by Kory Thomas May and Tiffany Christian. He ponders the characteristics of familiar narratives and storylines and the limits of understanding and expectations that are inherent in predictable, predetermined outcomes. As a public service, Ray presents his own prime example of the ultimate trope.
For more on Ray, visit drraychristian.com and support the show!