At the Feb. 3, 2021, commission meeting, a request to name a new multipurpose field at Derbyshire Park to the “Norma J. Bland Football & Soccer Field” was unanimously approved. Norma Bland was born and raised in Daytona Beach and had a passion for social activism. A few of her many accomplishments include co-founding the Citizens Coalition to Improve Race Relations, working on the Volusia County-Daytona Beach NAACP executive committee and serving on the Committee for Civic Engagement. Mrs. Bland passed away in July 2020.
Read the Feb. 3, 2021, City Commission Agenda Item, which includes Norma Bland’s biography.
Aug. 1, 2020 News-Journal article: Coronavirus claims life of Daytona Beach activist Bland
The Derbyshire Park & Sports Complex located at 849 Derbyshire Road is the city’s most popular park and includes soccer fields, lighted basketball and tennis courts, baseball fields and concessions area. Several improvements were completed last year including creating a new football/multi-use playing field in the park’s southwest corner, a new paved parking lot and the tennis courts were resurfaced.
A date for the renaming ceremony will be announced at a later time.