b'Finding Courage in the Midst of Fear:Mayor Barbara Blain-BellamyBy Tameka Kenan-NormanI learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~Nelson MandelaConway Mayor Barbara Jo Blain-Bellamy has had toPeople want to know that somebody will speak up for exhibitcourageformanyyears.Impeccablydressed,them, acknowledges the mayor. They want someone hairfashionablystyled,andwhowillhavethenervetosay, spoutingoutknowledgewithathats not right.vibrantpersonalitythatexudes confidence,itshardtobelieveThatswhythiscourageouspublic thattheConwaynativehasservant decided to take an uncanny everbeenfearfulofanything.stepduringhermiddleageyears, However,assumingtheroleofbut one that would be of benefit to thefirstblackmayorinafieldhercommunity. Thethen47-year-dominated by men and in an areaolddecidedtoattendlawschool once mired in segregation, cant betwo years into her second term on easy. And now, serving her secondthe city council. term,Blain-Bellamycontinues toconquerfearsandachieveRecentlydivorced,raisingtwo featsthatsheoncethoughtnephews,maintainingthreejobs, unimaginable.and with a less than stellar college record,attendinglawschooldidnt COURAGEOUSseem feasible. BEGINNINGS I was the most unlikely ticket in, MayorBlain-BellamybecameadmitsBlain-Bellamy.Ididnot amemberoftheConwayCityPeople want to know that somebody willgraduate Cum Laude. I wont say I Councilin1993,servingfromspeak up for them. They want someonewasirresponsibleincollege,butI 1993to1998andagainfromwho will have the nerve to say, thats notdidnt do what I should have done.2012to2016.Shealsoservedasright.mayorprotemporein1996andMayor Barbara Blain-BellamyBlain-Bellamyrecallsseeinga 2015, and four years as Conwayscouple in family court. She says the assistantcityadministratorinthejudgeonthebenchtreatedtheoldercoupleharshly, early 2000s.usingacondescendingtonethatperhapscouldhave Ihadnotmuchofaclueabouthowitallbeen avoided if they had proper representation.happened,saysMayorBlain-Bellamyreferringto localgovernmentwhenshestarted. ButIcametoThat was the primary motivation for Blain-Bellamys understandandloveeverything,andonceyougetexodus from city council and entrance into law school, involved, you want to stay involved. ajourneythatwasintimidatingbutoneshehadto Involvementforthe70-year-old,however,isntjustaccomplish. about holding a particular office. Its about using that position to serve others.The newspaper said I was leaving my seat to go off to 10IMARA'