What's Ray Saying?

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.