![]("//site-6bp9kpfq.dewsecdn1.dotezcdn.com/uploads/o/69193bdd776e4650bb47a572bf7c1a9e.png?v=231906010426")
HOUSTON, TX – Join The Honey Brown Hope Foundation, in partnership with The Center for Justice Research and the Texas Southern University (TSU) chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., for an eye-opening short-film screening and panel discussion: “Innocent and Wrongly Convicted: Darius Elam in Pursuit of Truth, Justice, and Freedom.”
The event, chaired by State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, State Rep. Ron Reynolds, Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Dr. Howard Henderson, Kyler Williams, and Tammie Lang Campbell, will shed light on Darius Elam’s decades-long fight for freedom and justice.
Free and open to the public, the screening will take place on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 6:30-8:00 PM, at Texas Southern University’s (TSU) Granville Sawyer Auditorium (100 Cleburne St, Houston, TX 77004). To register for the event and receive up-to-date parking details, please visit: https://forms.gle/RbeYLiRxoEfqgvfA8.
This 15-minute documentary by Dr. Howard Henderson, founding director of the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University, kicks off an urgent dialogue about Darius Elam, a former TSU student-athlete and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity member who has been wrongfully imprisoned for over 40 years.
Darius Elam’s wrongful conviction is marked by:
- No confession and a consistent claim of innocence.
- A flawed investigation and recanted testimony from a paid informant.
- DNA evidence excluding Darius as the perpetrator.
- Unidentified DNA found at the crime scene, which the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has refused to analyze through CODIS.
Immediately following the screening, a panel will address the devastating impact of wrongful convictions. Panelists include Dr. Howard Henderson; Tammie Lang Campbell; Samuel Elam; Samara Elam Haygood; Kyara Ofuani Esq.; Aswad Walker, Associate Editor for Defender Network; and Seronsa “Chuck” Charles.
Event committee members include Rep. Ron Reynolds (Texas HBCU Legislative Caucus Chair, Texas Legislative Black Caucus Chair Emirates, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Member); Seronsa “Chuck” Charles (TSU Alum and Darius Elam’s Alpha Phi Alpha’s Line Brother, E.K.G Line Spring ’80); John Bowman (TSU Alum and Darius Elam’s Alpha Phi Alpha’s Line Brother, E.K.G Line Spring ’80); and Errol Allen II, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Member.
Darius's case is not just about one man's fight for freedom. It exposes deep flaws in the justice system—such as the reliance on unreliable informants and the failure to act on critical DNA evidence. It's a case that reflects systemic issues affecting countless others, especially those who are wrongfully convicted. With 3,000-9,000 estimated wrongful convictions in Texas, this event demands action. Advocates urge further DNA testing and a CIU investigation.
For more information about the case, please visit https://www.honeybrownhope.org/dariuselam.