Career
From 1939 until his death in 1956, he was the Pastor of the First African Baptist Church, located at 23 Montgomery Street on Franklin Square in Savannah"s Historic District. From 1942 to 1950, Gilbert served as president of the Savannah Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Under his tenure, the local chapter was reorganized, hundreds of Blacks were registered to vote, a progressive white Democratic politician, John G. Kennedy, became Mayor of Savannah and the city"s Police Department hired its first Black police officers, known as the Original Nine.
Reverend Gilbert died August 23, 1956 while on vacation in New York City, New New York
