A memorial will be held on Saturday, at 3 p.m. at the East Lake Recreation Center, 3601 Dodds Ave. to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of Wadie Suttles.
Organizers said, "On Dec. 2, 1983, Wadie Suttles, father of Concerned Citizens for Justice (CCJ) co-founder Maxine Cousin, died after being brutally beaten while in the custody of the Chattanooga Police Department. Over 30 years later, Suttles murderer(s) have not been convicted or charged."
"CCJ was founded as a result of Wadie Suttles murder, to win a measure of justice for Wadie Suttles and his family, and to end police brutality and racism. We continue that struggle today, as we work to end police brutality and mass incarceration," said CCJ member Ash-Lee Henderson.
On Saturday, CCJ will be hosting a memorial, film viewing and discussion at East Lake Recreation Center.
"We will honor the memory of Wadie Suttles, hear from guest speakers, then screen and discuss the film “The House I Live In,” which documents how the war on drugs has fueled the epidemic of mass incarceration that disproportionately affects black communities across the country," organizers said.
"We have to educate our communities about the systemic causes of mass incarceration and stop letting politicians and law enforcement tell us that the roots of the problem are in the Black community. Poverty and racism are violence and the people at the top who control the system are the real "worst of the worst," said CCJ member Janelle Jackson.