Albany

Top Issues

“Job opportunities in fast food restaurants are pretty much all you can get here. There’s nothing else besides that.”

–Black, Male, Young-Adult Resident of Albany

Albany residents face significant challenges related to infrastructure, economic growth, and healthcare access. The city struggles with deteriorating roads, energy inequity, and inadequate emergency services. At the same time, the lack of economic opportunities has led to a prevalence of low-paying jobs and a trend of younger residents leaving for more promising job opportunities elsewhere. Healthcare access is also a major concern, with hospital closures resulting in long travel to receive care, longer wait times, and the shutdown of mental health and drug rehabilitation centers further compounding these issues. These problems collectively paint a picture of a community grappling with systemic challenges that affect residents' quality of life and future job opportunities.

Infrastructure

In Albany, the lack of adequate infrastructure takes many forms — crumbling roads, energy inequity, poor response times from emergency services, and a lack of healthy food options in the community. Participants in Albany expressed concern over the high cost of traffic tickets and tolls. However, some may not understand how the roads can be in such bad shape. In addition, energy costs have seemed to skyrocket in Black communities. Building an equitable community will mean addressing all of these issues — especially in the communities that need them most.

Lack of Growth

Although Albany is a historic city, the most important issue among community members is the lack of growth and opportunity. Participants revealed they feel the only jobs available are low-paying positions at fast-food chains or other low-paying businesses in the service industry, such as car washes. This, when combined with Georgia’s low minimum wage, $5.15 per hour, has created intolerable economic conditions. As the economic situation continues to decline, many long-time residents are encouraging their children to move away in search of better economic opportunities.

Healthcare

Because of recent hospital closures, participants expressed difficulties in easy access to healthcare. For some, reaching a hospital can take over 60 minutes, and the wait times at Albany hospitals can exceed 3 hours. In addition, area mental health and drug rehabilitation centers have shuttered, forcing more folks to go without treatment, further exacerbating crime. Right now, healthcare is out of reach for many Albany residents.

Media

“I don’t really find anybody on Facebook that I want to follow for the news. . . . There’s too much false information on there for me.”

–Black, Male, Middle-Age Resident of Albany

Albany residents primarily rely on word of mouth, including networks of pastors, local activists, and community organizations, as their main source of information about local resources and events. Radio and podcasts are also popular, with residents tuning into local radio shows featuring community leaders and using news podcasts to stay informed on national issues. For broader perspectives on national topics, residents turn to specific news influencers and personalities on platforms, like YouTube over traditional media sources.

Word of Mouth

There is no better means of communication for Albany residents than good old-fashioned word of mouth. Some rely on a network of pastors, local activists, and influencers to spread the word about local resources and community events. Local community organizations also play a major role in informing the community about local issues and helping to organize folks to create change. These sources are often amplified by local community groups on Facebook and Instagram.

Podcasts and Radio

Because community leaders play such a major role in information sharing, radio stations are one of the preferred platforms for Albany residents to stay up to date on local issues. Community members often tune into local radio shows to hear from pastors and community leaders. Focus group participants folks also mentioned relying on news podcasts to fill in the gaps and keep them informed on national issues.

News Influencers

Similar to the reliance on local organizations and word of mouth to learn about breaking news, focus group participants reported looking to national figures to learn about and gain perspective on national issues. Multiple residents mentioned they prefer looking to journalist Roland Martin, political commentator Candace Owens, or other personalities on YouTube rather than listening to traditional media or government news sources.

“I’m not sitting on my behind. I’m working three jobs. I work three jobs in this little city here. That’s why I pushed my baby to move to Atlanta. It’s like this city has a black cloud over it.”

–Black, Female, Middle-Agent Resident of Albany

“I feel so much compassion for these kids. They say no child left behind but there are so many kids being left behind. The structures aren’t here.”

–Black, Female, Middle-Age Resident of Albany

“Both the police and EMS are shorthanded. If it’s a non-emergency call, you can be waiting up to 45 minutes for a police officer to get there.”

–White, Male, Young-Adult Resident of Albany

“You can’t even get the city and the county commissioners to work together. Like they’re constantly battling. [They] have to think about all of the citizens and what serves us. That’s what we elected them for.”

–Black, Female, Young-Adult Resident of Albany