- July 7th, 2020
The University of Alabama Honors College has selected The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton for its Common Book Experience in 2020/2021.
Hinton recounts his journey from wrongful incarceration to being freed after thirty years of incarceration in Alabama. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with two counts of capital murder; he knew that they had the wrong person and believed the truth would prove his innocence. But, the biases within the justice system prevailed against Hinton and he was sentenced to death. As an innocent man devastated by his punishment, he spent the first few years of his sentence in silence. Hinton realized that he had to keep hope and find a way to live on death row.
The Honors Common Book is selected by a campus-wide committee composed of faculty and staff. It is read by all new freshmen in the Honors College, and it is discussed by freshmen, faculty, and mentors, within and outside of the classroom.
Devin Franklin, senior in finance and economics major and HYO intern, reflects on the memoir, “The Sun Does Shine helps readers tackle the complex issues of a biased justice system and the bond between hope and life. Deeper than that though, this memoir inspires readers to understand what makes us human and what we choose to be defined by. Hinton paints a portrait of the preciousness of human life and the pursuit of truth.”
To learn more about Anthony Ray Hinton’s story, visit eji.org.
