The King of the Dark: Chris Felder’s Unstoppable Purpose

Episode SummaryChris Felder was 21 years old, working toward a future as an EMT and raising his young son when he was shot twice in the head and once in the shoulder during an attempted robbery. He survived, but the shooting took his sight and sent him into an eight-year struggle with depression, isolation, anger, and the loss of the independent life he once knew.Chris joins Penn and Moses for an honest, funny, and unfiltered conversation about the long road from fighting blindness to building an identity around it. He explains how podcasting helped him finally accept who he was, reclaim the word “blind,” and become The Official Blind Steppa—a motivational speaker, mental-health advocate, entrepreneur, and source of encouragement for people around the world.The conversation explores the stereotypes Chris faced as a young Black man and later as a blind Black man, the family and humor that helped him heal, and the difference between merely surviving trauma and learning how to live with purpose. Chris also discusses employment discrimination, the need for honest mental-health support for people who are newly blind, the importance of blind representation, and why more people with disabilities are creating their own businesses and platforms.Through laughter, difficult truths, and unmistakable confidence, Chris offers a message for anyone walking through a dark season: do not stop in the middle of hell. Keep walking. Your moment is coming.Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of gun violence, depression, suicidal thoughts, trauma, and recovery.Contact InformationChristopher “The Official Blind Steppa” FelderWebsite: Official Blind SteppaInstagram: @official_blindsteppaPodcast: Blind But Now I SeeBooking email: [email protected] phone: 347-653-0076AftersightWebsite: aftersight.orgEmail: [email protected] office: 303-786-7777Listener feedback: [email protected] line: 720-712-8856ProducerJonathan PriceEmail: [email protected]: 303-786-7777, extension 4110Cell: 720-370-9302Show CreditsShow: The Blind ChickHosts: Penn Street and Moses StreetGuest: Christopher “The Official Blind Steppa” FelderProducer: Jonathan PricePresented by: Aftersight (00:10) - — Welcome and the Upcoming Aftersight Hike (02:38) - — Meet Chris Felder, The Official Blind Steppa (05:50) - — The Night That Changed Chris’s Life (09:50) - — Confronting Stereotypes Without Trying to Prove Himself (13:14) - — Eight Years of Fighting Blindness (14:28) - — The Birth of The Official Blind Steppa (17:42) - — Depression, Suicide, and the Years Chris Needed to Heal (18:52) - — Family, Tough Love, and Finding His Humor Again (22:13) - — Discovering Vision Beyond Physical Sight (28:13) - — Hotel Bottles, Missing Doors, and an Electric-Bike Experiment (30:06) - — Trading Car Keys for a White Cane (32:41) - — Reclaiming Independence and Walking in Purpose (35:34) - — Building the Blind But Now I See Podcast (38:34) - — Telling the Full Truth and Becoming a Motivational Voice (40:49) - — Books, Film, Media, and Blind Representation (43:16) - — Reaching Young People Without Sugarcoating Reality (45:17) - — Why Newly Blind Youth Need Mental-Health Support First (47:21) - — Employment Discrimination and Blind Entrepreneurship (53:55) - — Dance in the Rain and Keep Walking (56:14) - — Where to Follow Chris and Closing Thoughts