Education
Educator Brenda Joyce Mapp, 72
She was a retired teacher, serving in Oakland at Horace Mann Elementary School for over 20 years. She was a member of North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church.
Brenda Joyce Mapp, 72, a resident of St. Augustine, Florida, formerly of Oakland, CA, died Aug. 11. Born in Berkeley, she was the daughter of the late Roddie and Mildred Proctor and had resided in St. Augustine for the past 5 years.
She was a retired teacher, serving in Oakland at Horace Mann Elementary School for over 20 years. She was a member of North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church.
She was a critical part of the Oakland Partnership Program, the group that was responsible for diversifying the Oakland teaching force by helping hundreds of Black, Latinx, Indigenous and Asian people to get into teaching. Every teacher candidate was required to take half a dozen tests before being allowed to begin a teaching program, even though each candidate already had a college degree.
Brenda spent her weekends at the library and in people’s homes helping them to study and encouraging their confidence.
Super-teachers Eric Ross and Eleanore Stovall spoke lovingly of Brenda. Said Eric, “My heart is broken.” And Eleanor said, “Brenda was always there when I needed her.
A family member said on Facebook that she “was a God-fearing woman, who loved people, football, food, reading, and cooking for her grand-puddings. She played such a pivotal role in our lives and will be greatly missed. “
She is survived by her son, Timonthy Mapp, St. Augustine; son-in-law, Erik Proctor, San Francisco; sister, Cathy Harris, California; “sister” Pam White, two grandchildren, Timonthy Mapp II, and Tahlia Mapp.
To leave a gift or write a memory, go to www.stjohnsfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Brenda-Mapp/
The Oakland Post’s coverage of local news in Alameda County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support community newspapers across California.
