The Sun Does Shine with Anthony Ray Hinton (A Holman Speaker Series)


A Holman Speaker Series Event

The Sun Does Shine

The Incredible True Story of Anthony Ray Hinton
An innocent man who survived 30 years on Alabama’s Death Row.

We are honored to welcome Anthony Ray Hinton, author of The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, to campus for an impactful evening event followed by Q&A and book signing.

We are hosting a community wide book club reading The Sun Does Shine in March. Books are provided free of charge. Registration begins February 13. If you are interested or have questions, contact Elizabeth Wiles, ewiles@truman.edu.

In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Mr. Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity and believed that the truth would prove his innocence and ultimately set him free.

But with no money and a different system of justice for a poor Black man in the South, Mr. Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. For the next three decades he was a beacon ― transforming not only his own spirit, but those of his fellow inmates, 54 of whom were executed mere feet from his cell. With the help of civil rights attorney and bestselling author of Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson, Mr. Hinton won his release in 2015.

With a foreword by Bryan Stevenson, The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times. Destined to be a classic memoir of wrongful imprisonment and freedom won, Mr. Hinton’s book tells the story of his dramatic 30-year journey and shows how you can take away a man’s freedom, but you can’t take away his imagination, humor, or joy.

The Sun Does Shine is a New York Times Bestseller, Oprah book club pick, and winner of the 2019 Christopher Award. Its message of faith, hope, and justice is sure to inspire readers from all backgrounds.

The event and community book club are sponsored by the Holman Distinguished Speaker Series and Truman State University Criminal Justice Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies departments.

The Sun Does Shine with Anthony Ray Hinton: A Holman Speaker Series Event

Wednesday, March 26th, 6:00pm

RSVP Here

Community Book Club (Optional)

March, 2025, Mondays & Tuesdays
FREE BOOK for the first 80 participants to sign up!

Registration opens Feb. 13th

Mondays: March 3, 17, 24

  • 12:00-12:50pm
  • 5:30-6:20pm
  • 6:30-7:20pm
  • 7:30-8:20pm

Tuesdays: March 4, 18, 25

  • 12:00-12:50pm
  • 4:30-5:20pm
  • 5:30-6:20pm
  • 6:30-7:20pm

Wednesdays: March 5, 19 (VIRTUAL)

  • 12:30-1:20pm
  • 5:30-6:20pm