In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was wrongfully convicted of murder and then imprisoned for almost 30 years in solitary confinement, waiting to be put to death for a crime he didn't commit. The horrific injustice that was perpetrated upon Mr. Hinton is beyond belief. Yet through it all, Mr. Hinton remained unwavering in his hope and his kindness. The Sun Does Shine is his story told in his own words.
Reading this book, almost every page made me sick to my stomach. Everyone working for the state of Alabama in this case—including the prosecutor, the judge, the ballistics experts, witnesses, and even Mr. Hinton's court appointed lawyer—willfully lied and maliciously conspired to put a man in prison for a crime they know he didn't commit. One person even went so far as to tell him that they didn't care if he was guilty, and that as a black person he should take one for the team.
Thirty years is a lifetime, and it was taken from Mr. Hinton in the blink of an eye. Yet, his words of faith and hope, and his positive attitude and kindness to fellow inmates and guards were moving to read. He took what was one of the worst situations anyone could find themselves in, and made a life out of it in a room that's 5 ft by 7 ft.
One of the things that struck me was how Mr. Hinton tried to remove the hate from his heart towards everyone who essentially conspired to kill him. He looked upon them with forgiveness and kindness, and I just don't know how he could do it. I feel hatred in my heart towards all those people after reading this book, and it didn't even happen to me. But I'm glad he was able to, and that it brought him some measure of peace.
Mr. Hinton's courage and kindness fills me with awe. He is a hero and so is his team of dedicated lawyers led by Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative who worked for two decades to exonerate and set Mr. Hinton free. This book is tough to read, but it feels essential to understanding all that is wrong with our criminal justice system, including its excessive, racially-motivated punishment of poor black people.
In the end, Mr. Hinton's steadfast fight to see the good in everyone and to keep hope alive in his heart reminds me of the humanity in all of us. With grace, kindness, and love, he passed through hell and survived to tell his tale. Now he is working to bring visibility to all the injustices he has suffered and witnessed, and the world needs people like him. He is truly an inspiration to us all.
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