“The Poarch Creek Indians have made significant inroads in all of the communities in Alabama. I think that one of their goals is to establish a relationship with young people across the state and to help make it a better place by sharing their resources and encouraging people to participate in community life. What they have done for my organization and the people in the Civil Rights Movements is enormous.” —Doris Crenshaw, Founder, Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute The mission of the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute is to cultivate a cadre of young people to address and challenge social injustices in the education system, emphasizing economic empowerment, health and general welfare. The youth, who become part of this diverse organization, participate in a series of workshops that impact educational policy through meetings with community leaders to discuss issues of the day.