I thought this would be bigger news—-maybe I missed it—but former controversial former Greensboro City Council member Dianne Bellamy-Small’s candidacy for the Guilford County Board of Education was mentioned matter-of-factly in today’s N&R front-pager.
The lede? District 7 candidate—running unopposed—-Byron Gladden, aka “Bishop Dean”:
Blame Tyler Perry, the well-known director and actor, for Gladden’s — or Dean’s — name change. One of Perry’s movies included a character named Byron. Another character in the movie frequently said Byron’s name, dragging out the “n.”
Even several years later, Dean said, people still pronounce his name like the character in the movie. Or they transpose the y and r.
Name annoyances aside, Dean. 30, said he has serious reasons for wanting to serve on the school board: a passion for education and a desire to empower and effect change in the community.
“Part of doing the work is knowing where the work is most effective,” Dean said. “We have a good school board. I saw the potential for it to be even better than what it is.”
Other notes from the school board’s upcoming partisan election—-board chairman Alan Duncan —a Democrat—is being challenged by Republican Alan Hawkes for the at-large seat; District 2 incumbent Jeff Belton–a Democrat– is being challenged by former school board member Anita Sharpe, a Republican; and last but not least no Republicans are running for the District 8 seat held by International Civil Rights Museum chair and Racial Equity Institute contributor Deena Hayes-Greene, although she is being challenged by Democrat Matthew Stafford.