Events › Mary Ann Key Book Club – A Community Discussion of "The Sun Does Shine"

The Mary Ann Key Book Club uses reading as a catalyst for conversation as we attempt to better understand past and current injustices – including systemic racism, other forms of discrimination, and bias that affects marginalized communities.

Join columnist Myron Medcalf, moderator JaNaé Bates, and community panelists Marvin Haynes, Moseka Nhya and Kevin Reese in a discussion of Anthony Ray Hinton’s “The Sun Does Shine.” Hear reflections on Hinton's experience, the impact of mass incarceration in Minnesota and beyond, and how community members can support meaningful changes in the Twin Cities. Media partner: Star Tribune. Sponsor: Friends of the Hennepin County Library. This event will be recorded.

Note: Although we invite you to read the book before this event, it is not required. Please note that speakers will discuss all aspects of the book.

Minister JaNaé Bates is the interim Co-Executive Director for Faith in Minnesota and ISAIAH – multi-racial, multi-faith, state-wide vehicles for people and communities of faith, Black owned barbershops and childcare centers.

Marvin Haynes was raised in a loving family of five siblings by his mother and father in North Minneapolis. However, at the age of 16 his life took a tragic turn when he was falsely accused and wrongly convicted of murder. Represented by the Great North Innocence Project, Haynes’ fight for justice finally paid off when new evidence emerged, leading to his exoneration and release on December 11, 2023. Now a 36-year-old free man, Haynes is determined to advocate for criminal justice reform and support others who are wrongfully convicted.

Moseka Nhya is a recent transplant to the Twin Cities, journeying from Atlanta, Georgia, to join The Legal Revolution Law Firm, a non-profit working to put the keys to the law in the hands of those most impacted by it. As a multicultural, multilingual graduate of Paralegal Studies - she aims to challenge the societal stigma and shame put upon those who are formerly incarcerated.

Kevin Reese, a Minneapolis native, spent 14 years in the criminal justice system and is the founder of the BRIDGE, a grassroots group aiming to abolish mass incarceration. As the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Until We Are All Free Movement, and the CEO of Until We Are All Free Consulting Group, he advocates for transformative criminal justice overhaul. Kevin is also a published poet, an award winner for his work.