Not exclusive to matters of civil rights, Gilbert’s belief in civic involvement caused him to participate in the leadership of several community institutions. He served on the mayor’s Commission for the Handicapped as well as on the board at McLennan Community College’s School of Nursing. Gilbert also moderated a local TV show in the 1970s titled Minority Report that served as a forum to discuss a variety of issues that impacted people of color, and he later hosted a radio program called Walking by Faith.