{"id":20150,"date":"2017-12-20T15:00:02","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T20:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=20150"},"modified":"2018-01-31T09:52:44","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T14:52:44","slug":"street-named-civil-rights-icon-james-r-mapp-dedicated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2017\/12\/street-named-civil-rights-icon-james-r-mapp-dedicated\/","title":{"rendered":"Street named for civil rights icon James R. Mapp is dedicated"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dr. Richard Brown of UTC speaks at the dedication of James R. Mapp Street in honor of the civil rights icon. On the left is the Rev. Blevins Saxton III of Orchard Knob Baptist Church; on the right is Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.<\/p><\/div>\n

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When civil rights icon James R. Mapp was unhappy with you, he let you know in a very specific way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he called you by your whole name, you knew you were in trouble,\u201d said Dr. Richard Brown, executive vice chancellor of finance and administration at UTC.<\/p>\n

Brown offered that nugget of information during his remarks today at the dedication of James R. Mapp Street, formerly University Street on the UTC campus. Mapp\u2019s insurance\/real estate office once sat at the corner of University Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.<\/p>\n

During the dedication ceremony, which took place in the NAACP headquarters on MLK Boulevard, Brown described Mapp, who died in 2015 at age 87, as \u201cthe moral compass of the community, improving the lives of all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a man who dedicated his entire life to really serving others,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe last words he told me were, \u2018Richard, you must help others to finish the work.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the naming of this street also helps us to start that process to finish the great work he started.\u201d<\/p>\n

The naming of James R. Mapp Street is the second time UTC has honored Mapp, who served 16 years as president of the Chattanooga chapter of the NAACP.<\/p>\n

In 2016, the University rededicated the James R. Mapp Building to honor him.<\/p>\n

At today\u2019s dedication of James R. Mapp Street, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke described Mapp as \u201ca man who was immensely courteous and polite but never confused that with softness or weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe owe him an eternal debt of gratitude,\u201d Berke said.<\/p>\n