n 1967, San Jose educator, activist and former stand-up comic Carl Ray graduated from Tuskegee Institute with a BS Degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, he traveled to California to begin a career in the Aerospace Industry. However, he was sidetracked early in his career by a yearning to perform stand-up comedy.

In 1968, Ray founded a Youth Opportunity Program in East Palo Alto, California. He began recruiting youth to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in 1970; then undertook sponsoring tours to the schools. Ray continues to host bi-annual tours to HBCU's. To date, he has chaperoned more than 4,000 students on HBCU tours.

In 1988, Ray, together with his wife Brenda, founded Courtland Esteem School - a private school in San Jose, California where, for several years, they educated young African American children in grades one through six. However, in 1962 (just prior to attending Tuskegee; but long before the comedy circuit; before marriage, college tours or Courtland Esteem School), Ray was questioned by a white in his small hometown of Butler, Choctaw County, Alabama. 18-year-old Ray responded by saying "yes" and "no" instead of "yes, sir" and "no, sir," which were the customary responses when addressing white people. The man beat Ray severely for being disrespectful, then went to Ray's home and shot his father eight times as Ray looked on helplessly. Ray was burdened with the guilt of causing his father's murder; his life would never be the same.

Since 1999, Ray has relived the gripping story of witnessing his father's racially-motivated murder in the form of an acclaimed one-man, single act play titled A Killing in Choctaw. Ray has performed the play more than 160 times at theaters, churches, colleges, museums and other venues throughout the United States.

In September 2004, Ray's production company premiered the candid and soul-stirring film documentary A Killing in Choctaw: The Power of Forgiveness. The following month, The New York Times ran a feature story on the film and commented on its significance for race dialogue in America. After having read The New York Times story, a Public Broadcasting Station KLCS-TV producer invited Ray to lend his story for its educational program "Facing History and Ourselves." KLCS created a set replicating the Alabama courtroom where the actual murder trial took place; filled it with jurors and spectators; then studio taped Ray's live performance for airing on its program "Why History Matters," and for the Los Angeles School District curriculum.

In March 2006, the program that was based on Ray's life story -- "Why History Matters: The Choctaw Project" -- won a Silver Telly Statuette, the highest award for cultural programming, and the Bronze Telly for achievement in set design. The Telly Awards honor outstanding local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. A few weeks later in April, the program was bestowed the VIDEOGRAPHER AWARDS 2006 "Award of Excellence for Creativity/Cinematography," the highest honor presented for projects deemed written, produced, shot and edited in an exceptional manner.