Black History banner honorees include Hatchett and Popwell – daytonatimes.com

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Updated: January 29, 2026 @ 7:57 am

Florida’s first Black Supreme Court Justice Joseph W. Hatchett (Sept. 17, 1932-April 30, 1921) and musician Robert “Pops” Lee Popwell (Dec. 29, 1950-Nov. 27, 2017) are among the 12 icons to be honored on banners in Daytona Beach during Black History Month.
Hatchett served as a state Supreme Court justice from 1975-1979, Florida’s 65th justice on that court. Popwell was an internationally respected bassist, composer and musician.
The banner reveal ceremony is on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Center for Civic Engagement on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University at 11 a.m.
Family members of the honorees will attend. The banners will be displayed on International Speedway Boulevard between Nova Road and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard throughout February.
“This is a very diverse group. We have a lot of ordinary people that have done extraordinary things. These people didn’t have to be a superstar or anything but just have done something to add to our community. We have a good mix of professionals and a good mix of ordinary working people,” said Percy Williamson, chair of the Midtown Community Development Corporation (MCDC).
MCDC is a local non-profit organization that aims to improve the Midtown community. The organization spear-heads the banner project that honors the achievements that local Black Americans have made to this community and beyond during Black History Month.
The city of Daytona Beach is the main sponsor of the project and posts the honorees on its website www.DaytonaBeach.gov. The honorees will be posted next week.
Joel Van Fears, community leader, educator, civil rights activist and veteran.
Hatchett: From local lawyer to high court justice Hatchett had a private law practice on Campbell Street (1959-1966). He grew up in Clearwater and graduated from Pinellas High School. Hatchett graduated from Florida A&M in1954, then served in the United States Army as a lieutenant from 1954-1956.
He went on to earn his law degree from Howard University in 1959. Hatchett was also an attorney with the NAACP Legal Fund (1960-1966 and served the U.S. Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel and judge advocate (1977-1988).
Hatchett was a consultant for the Daytona Beach Urban Renew Department (1963-1966) and served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florda (1967-1971). In 1975, Governor Ruben Askew appointed him to the Florida Supreme Court.
Popwell was born and raised in Daytona Beach and graduated with a degree in music from Bethune-Cookman. 
He went on to become a prominent musician, writer and composer. He performed with Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, The Rascals and the Crusaders. His grooves on hits like “Street Life” performed by the Crusaders and “Rock Steady” performed by the Whiskers influenced the sounds of jazz, blues, R&B, soul and funk in the 1970s.
This is the sixth year of the banner project in Daytona.
“It is amazing. We started out unveiling the banners on the corner of ISB and Lincoln Street. We did that for three years, which was tough with cars zooming by. We picked that area because we were encouraged to be there instead of just on MLK Blvd. or MMB Blvd. We wanted them to be where everyone can see, especially those coming into town,” reflected Williamson.
This also was the first year that MC-DC allowed members of the community to pick the honorees. They allowed people to submit names of honorees online on their website www.midtowncdc.org. 
“We are excited about taking all recommendations from the people in the community. In the past, our board or our committee made all the selections,” noted Williamson.
At the end of the day, it is all about celebrating local history.
“We want to recognize the folks that made Daytona what it is. Those who truly made an impact. Our young folks think that this is how Daytona has always been. People did some significant things here in this city and laid the foundation for those who came after them to do more,” emphasized Williamson.
“Our city is celebrating 150 years as a consolidated municipal government, but most don’t know that Daytona was separate from Seabreeze on beachside and Daytona Beach. Daytona had a large African American population,’’ he explained.
Williamson added, “The communities of Midway, Waycross, Newtown, Pine Island, Oak Hill, etc. were all Black. Some older people still know where they were. Even Derbyshire and Madison Heights were in unincorporated Volusia County before becoming part of Daytona Beach.”
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Gilliam Nii Lighter

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