Ray Christian

Ray tells stories of his upbringing in a southern ghetto, his family life, and his transition from ghetto kid to soldier to academic.

Ray Christian is a retired decorated Army paratrooper and combat veteran, Doctor of Education, Fulbright Specialist Expert in Education and Storytelling Narrative, and former adjunct professor teaching African American History and Storytelling at Appalachian State University. Ray has performed on the National Storytelling Festival New Voices stage and at numerous storytelling festivals around the country. He is a 12-time Moth Story Slam champion, and winner of the 2016 National Storytelling Festival Story Slam. His stories have been featured multiple times on the The Moth Radio Hour, Snap Judgment, and Back Story Radio, as well as Spooked, Story Collider, AdultISH, The Confessional, and Risk podcasts among many others. He resides in the remote mountains of Watauga County, North Carolina, where he hosts and produces the podcast What’s Ray Saying?, a show that uses history and story to explore the Black American experience from a unique perspective.