Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are coming up with innovative ways to serve its students, those in the community, and to remain relevant.

According to HBCU Buzz, HBCU Paul Quinn College and the North Texas Leadership Institute have started to develop a new think tank that looks for ways to properly service the economically disenfranchised, communities lacking educational opportunities, and voids in leadership in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. The new organization will be called the African-American Leadership Institute.

While the think tank will take about two years to develop, the school’s president, Michael Sorrell, has ambitious goals for what the think tank may accomplish. Leadership within the institute will include members of the political and education community, as well as others.

Focusing on areas of substance, specifically the economic trials that many within the black community face, is important. The median household income for black Americans is barely above $35,000 and the cumulative wealth for black Americans is barely above $11,000. Compare that to white Americans, who have 10 times the wealth of blacks, and we can see why a think tank of this nature is needed.

Home ownership numbers for blacks are low and unemployment rates are generally high. That is, for lack of a better term, a recipe for economic disaster.

So much of how success is attained in this country is predicated on education. Without it, the chances of black Americans graduating into well-paying jobs decreases significantly. This also keeps many blacks stuck in poverty and under-served communities.

The think tank at Paul Quinn College will specifically service the needs of the black community in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and hopefully will grow well so that other HBCUs will follow suit.

Having an organization that will cater to economic needs of African-Americans is important, but the connection to an HBCU like Paul Quinn College is even better.