Spring Break
One-man play shows power of forgiveness
Heather Holm / Activities Editor
Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: News
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In 1962, when he was a young boy, Ray replied "yes" and "no" instead of "yes, sir" and "no, sir" to a man named Bill. Ray was then knocked down and beaten.
Later that night, Bill came to Ray's house and shot his father while looking Ray straight in the eyes. The man shot Ray's father eight times in the chest. Ray said the shots seemed to happen in slow motion.
Ray's play was the featured entertainment for the African-American Heritage Month banquet Friday in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
Ray said he always blamed himself for the death of his father until he talked with a minister. He said he was then able to forgive himself in 2002.
"It was like I was lost in the wilderness for 40 years," Ray said.
Ray has been in and out of therapy, but was not on the path to being fully healed until he talked with the minister about being forgiven by God.
At the time of the incident, Ray's mother was strong and did not cry, but Ray still hated himself after.
After Ray would also get violent with people, which he could not control at times. "I was running from Bill," he said. "I was doing to other people what he had done to me."
Ray said his family never talked about what happened. The first time Ray's family actually saw how he felt and how he thought his father's death was his fault was when he first performed his play.
Ray said he started doing his show because he wanted the story to be told and not for the money. He has appeared on PBS and BET to tell his story as a motivational/inspirational speaker.
"I have been doing this play since 1999," Ray said. "A gentleman at a museum heard me speaking and gave me the idea. He financed the play. I never would have thought of this idea on my own."
Ray said performing his play has not only gotten the message across, but has been therapeutic. He said now he can connect more with the audience while performing.
Ray also said people sometimes come up to him after a show to tell their own stories. "The stories I get are things people would not normally talk about," Ray said.
Ray said he wants people to get the power of forgiveness from the play and that forgiveness is freedom.
"I thought the main theme was forgiveness for yourself and everyone," said Taisha Mikell, a worker for the Student Success Center.
Karen Armour, a graduate assistant in the Gateway office, liked the self-healing aspect of the play.
Mona Davenport, director of minority affairs, said to hear someone express what he has gone through personally was nice. "People can learn from him," she said.
James Harden, an education professor, had asked Ray to come and tell his story at Eastern.
Harden and his wife were at a soul food restaurant in Indianapolis when Ray came up to them.
"(Harden's) son was looking at me, and we were playing peek-a-boo," Ray said.
Ray then told them his story.
Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or at haholm@eiu.edu.
More African-American Heritage Month events:
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