Chance or Circumstance? A Memoir and Journey through the Struggle for Civil Rights

Born August 16, 1927, in Mayfield, GA, the family relocated to Chattanooga in 1937. Early on, from the corridors of Howard High School, Mapp fearlessly challenged the status quo through letters to the local newspaper. His early activism, denouncing segregation and unequal access for African Americans, foreshadowed a life dedicated to dismantling systemic injustice and racism.

Mapp spent 42 years at the forefront of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), championing desegregation and equal access across various sectors. As president of the Chattanooga Branch NAACP, Mapp filed a lawsuit in 1960 lawsuit to desegregate Chattanooga public schools. The suit remained active for 26 years and is said to have been the longest running active desegregation lawsuit in the Country. He played a major role in desegregating many areas in Chattanooga including jobs, public accommodations, housing, business and government.

Mapp joined forces with Dr. Barbara Medley, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, to document the city’s history. Their collaboration resulted in the book Chance or Circumstance: A Memoir and Journey through the Struggle for Civil Rights, published in 2016. In 2024, the book was adapted into an audiobook, which is now available on www.jamesrmapp.com, www.amazon.com, and www.audible.com.