Black History Makers 2025
Launched in 2020, Black History Makers continues to be an educational and enlightening partnership with the City of Daytona Beach. We delight in bringing local Black history to the forefront--where it belongs. The Midtown Community Development Corporation proudly presents the 2025 class of Black History Makers.
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The banners debut during the USA's Black History month, being an enduring testament to the strength of Blacks in Volusia County, the State of Florida, and the Nation. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 Black History Makers. Submit your nomination today!
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For more on this annual event, visit our Black History Makers page.
Midtown Welcomes Students Back to BCU
On Friday, August 22, 2025, the Midtown Community Development Corporation (MCDC) and Commissioner Paula R. Reed coordinated a back-to-school supply giveaway at Bethune-Cookman University (BCU). The event was entitled “Midtown Welcomes Students Back to BCU.”
MCDC would like to thank Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) for assisting MCDC in the marketing of this event to the students. Over 200 students were served, and 13 young adult members of the National Council of Negro Women’s Daytona Beach Chapter volunteered to assist the vendors with their supplies. The students were so excited about receiving the supplies and were very grateful. The Volusia County Free Clinic signed up students who may need physicals or other medical attention. Other service organizations were available to answer student questions and connected with them to make sure they got additional supplies if needed. MCDC gave away 200 bottles of detergent and 200 bottles of cleaning vinegar to the students. It was an amazingly successful event, and MCDC is going to coordinate another supply event in the Spring semester at BCU. We want to thank all the organizations below for their time, energy, and supplies. Thank you to everyone!
– Donna M. Gray-Banks, CEO, Midtown Community Development Corporation.
THE MISSION
The mission of the Midtown Community Development Corporation is to aggressively pursue development and revitalization opportunities within Zone 6 and the Community of Daytona Beach, Florida, at-large.
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To maintain a mission of Social Justice
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To protect the rights of residents by raising the awareness of economic development and employment (income gap), housing, voting rights, healthcare, education, law enforcement and criminal justice, and closing the digital divide through basic principles of equality, access, resources, and participation.
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To enhance the ability for youth and young adults to garner a quality education by assisting in ways of Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM), career and technical education, digital divide for families, literacy building, and recreational activities.