Episode Summary

Penn and Moses share Thanksgiving reflections, then welcome Reverend Ray, a D.C.–based pastor, advocate, and radio host. He recounts losing sight at 14 from a firecracker accident, the education he received at Maryland School for the Blind, and a 37-year career as a Randolph-Sheppard entrepreneur. He details his public-service work in Prince George’s County, why presentation and independence matter at work, and his faith journey that led to founding St. Didymus Church for the Blind.

Reverend Ray describes training blind hosts at the Metropolitan Washington Ear, building men’s support groups, and practical inclusion inside churches. He offers a grounded take on “healing” culture and closes with a simple charge: pursue wisdom, work, and wealth—and share them.

Contact Info

Guest: Reverend Ray — Metropolitan Washington Ear; St. Didymus Church for the Blind (Washington, D.C.)

Aftersight: [email protected]

• (720) 712-8856 • aftersight.org

Producer credits: Produced by Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight — [email protected]

• (720) 712-8856

Show Credits

Hosts: Penn Street and Moses Street

Guest: Reverend Ray

Producer: Jonathan Price

Recording & Post: Aftersight Studios

Chapter Markers

00:00 — Cold open: gratitude and winter debate

02:16 — Guest intro: Reverend Ray’s story

04:32 — The long train to Kansas

06:47 — Firecracker accident and blindness at 14

09:07 — Education, possibility, and business mindset

11:00 — 37 years in Randolph-Sheppard

13:23 — Entering public service in Prince George’s County

15:47 — Hiring blind staff and customer-facing excellence

18:05 — Representation, grooming, and “show-and-tell” pedagogy

20:21 — Slides, memory, and being an ambassador

22:46 — Faith wasn’t first; the path toward calling

25:06 — Homelessness, surrender, and a turning point

27:23 — Becoming a pastor

29:43 — Founding St. Didymus Church for the Blind

32:01 — Inclusion in churches: solving real barriers

34:26 — “Healing” culture and harm

36:51 — Theology of acceptance and new-body hope

39:13 — Embracing the uniqueness of disability

41:28 — Staying humble: why paratransit

43:49 — Perks and advocacy in everyday life

46:08 — Metropolitan Washington Ear: shows and training

50:53 — Why coworkers hesitate and how to fix it

53:11 — Tech cost, older adults, and access reality

55:27 — Vans, transport, and men’s support groups

57:53 — Close: Wisdom, Work, Wealth