What’s Ray Saying?

In a drive to the airport with his son, Ray talks about the perilous crossroads he faced in defining his masculinity.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

After getting a response from a 30-year-old letter, Ray explores a legacy of correspondence—from his personal experience writing for illiterate parents and soldiers to the fascinating role mail has played in Black military history.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

Ray has a candid conversation with scholar and journalist Chenjerai Kumanyika, looking at the historic legacy of Jim Crow, how each of their families learned to navigate these codes, and the ways both men work against the idea of “staying in your place”.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

A young Ray Christian becomes captivated by the mysterious voices coming out of the radio and quickly discovers that there are rules and repercussions to being Black and talking a certain way.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

Ray looks back on his decision to join the army, unraveling a complicated history of Black military service and reflecting on the surprising changes the armed forces made in his life.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

A look at Black fashion—from zoot suits to Soul Train to a complicated history of advertising. Plus, Ray reflects on the time he dropped out of school because he didn't have the right clothes.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

To better understand the treatment of the ills, injuries and minds of Black Americans, Ray reflects on his first experience of going to the doctor.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

What’s Ray Saying is back!

Immerse yourself in a world of Southern-baked personal narratives, interwoven with Black American history, all told through the lens of Ray Christian's remarkable life. In each episode, the award-winning storyteller, combat veteran, historian, and devoted father of six, invites you to become part of his community, as he shares stories from the scenic mountains of Appalachia.

What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Jonathan Cabral is the associate producer. Story editing by Mark Pagán with development support from The Moth. Sound design by Rebecca Seidel. Original music comes from RJ Christian and Blue Dot Sessions.

To find out more about What Ray’s Saying? visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or at whatraysaying.com.

This series is supported by PRX, The Moth, and listeners like you.

In this episode, Ray explores the legacy of Black Children taken as slaves from Africa, growing up on plantations and the impact on 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 1940s 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 one of a three 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 reflections on storytelling.

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 shares which stories white people hear, which stories are just for “family”, and reflections on Ray’s introduction to the art of storytelling.

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.

What, when, how, and why Blacks learned in the US as well as what others were taught about them, from the slave quarters to HBCU’s.

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 desecration to unusual rituals. Explore this topic with me in this episode of What's Ray Saying?

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 questions of assimilation and acculturation.

From the birth of this nation until today, Ray explores the complexities of life as a soldier of color in the US.

From food stamps to gov'ment cheese—what it meant, how it helped, how we felt about it then, and what we think about it now.

A literal discussion of skin color—the range of visual nuances of appearances that we consider "Black", how those divisions came to be and their many implications. From the paper bag test and one drop rule to Rachel Dolezal, who is Black and why?

In this premiere episode, 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.

This episode contains special music by Beej Gordy Brooks and cameo "appearances" by Kevin Allison and Kristina Wong.

Want to know what this podcast is all about? Listen to Ray, the host, share a little of his vision and focus for the show as well as a little about himself.