Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the ninth-largest city in Georgia.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,639, and the median income for a family was $33,843. Males had a median income of $30,204 versus $22,268 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,485. About 21.5% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.7% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.
History
On April 11, 1906, the Carnegie Library, created by matching funds from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, was opened downtown. Originally a segregated facility under Jim Crow laws, it was not open to African Americans until after the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. It functioned as a library through 1985. In 1992, after renovation, the building was reopened as the headquarters of the Albany Area Arts Council.
In 1960, the population of Albany reached 50,000 people. In 1961-1962, African Americans in Albany played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement. They led protests and non-violent demonstrations to end segregation of public facilities, restore their dignity, and gain the ability to vote. Assisted by activists from SCLC, CORE, SNCC, and the NAACP, African Americans and supporters took a stand to fight segregation through nonviolence. The city repealed its Jim Crow laws in 1963, but it took federal legislation to secure the franchise.
The decline in military bases and railroad restructuring led to job losses. Much of the white population moved to suburbs out of the city, which became majority African American in the 1970s. Struggling with a poor economy, in 1988, Albany made national headlines as the "Murder Capital of America," with the highest murder rate per capita in the United States. Other cities have since taken that title.
The Souls of Black Folk
W. E. B. Du Bois wrote about Albany in his book, The Souls of Black Folk (1903). He described it as a typical African-American majority-populated rural town in the Deep South. Du Bois discussed the culture, agribusiness, and economy of the region. Du Bois described Albany as a small town where local sharecroppers lived. Much of the soil had been depleted of nutrients because of intensive cotton cultivation, and people found it hard to make a living. Once a bustling small city full of cotton gins and whose planters were dependent on slave labor, Albany had declined steadily in the late 19th century.
After emancipation and the disruption of the Civil War, the local economy suffered. Du Bois wrote that Dougherty County had many decaying one-room slave cabins and unfenced fields. Despite the problems, local folklore, customs, and culture made Albany a notable small city in the South. Since that time, the city has founded the Albany Museum of Art, which has one of the best African and African-American art collections in the Southeast.
Economy
Although Albany has expanded considerably in the past few decades, it still has friendly environment of a Southern town. Today, although the city is surrounded by pecan groves, pine trees, farms and plantations, almost none of the population is employed in agriculture. Health care, education and the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany are the largest employers. Manufacturing, transportation, and retail trade are also important foundations of Albany's economy and the city acts as a hub for commerce in southwest Georgia.
Radio Stations
WAEF 90.3 FM Cordele, GA Christian Contemporary
WWVO 90.7 FM Albany, GA Religious
WASU (LPFM) 92.7 FM Albany, GA Urban Contemporary
W249BQ (WHHR) 97.7 FM Christian Contemporary
WMRZ 98.1 FM Dawson, GA Urban Contemporary
WQVE 101.7 FM Albany, GA Urban Contemporary
WNUQ 102.1 FM Sylvester, GA Top-40
WZBN 105.5 FM Camilla, GA Urban Contemporary
WJIZ 96.3 FM Albany, GA Hip Hop
WJYZ 960 AM Albany, GA Gospel Music
WSRA 1250 AM Albany, GA Sports
WGPC 1450 AM Albany, GA Sports
WALG 1590 AM Albany, GA News/Talk
Because Hispanics could be counted in other races, the totals above could possibly be more than 100%. If you would like a detailed listing of all ethnic groups in the U.S., please Click Here.
The businesses listed on BlackCityInfo.com may not necessarily be black owned and operated but have received favorable reviews from users who have visited the establishment, or from the owners themselves who warmly seek out African American patronage.
BEAUTY CARE - BLACK HAIR SALONS - MULTICULTURAL
Atoina Discount Braids - Category: Black Hair Salons - 8579 Olgethrope Way, Albany, GA (229) 847-9874
Bernice Mays Studio and Hair Clinic - Category: Black Hair Salons - 2818 Old Dawson Road, Albany, GA (229) 942-5158 - (visit website)
Best Braids Inc - Category: Black Hair Salons - 1164 Clark Avenue, Albany, GA 31705-2219 (229) 878-0778
Blessed Hands Hair Salon - Category: Black Hair Salons - 812 West Oglethorpe Boulevard, Albany, GA 31701 (229) 639-1561
Braid Masters - Category: Black Hair Salons - 613 North Davis Street, Albany, GA 31701 (229) 888-2613
Braids and Beyond - Category: Black Hair Salons - 126 North Magnolia Street, Albany, GA 31707 (229) 420-9911
DreamWeavers Designs - Category: Black Hair Salons - 2723 Dawson Road Suite 2, Albany, GA (229) 638-4247 - (visit website)
Hair Creations in His Image by Kawambee - Category: Black Hair Salons - 1622 South Jefferson Street, Albany, GA 31701 (229) 878-0906
La'mesha's Salon - Category: Black Hair Salons - 938 West Broad Avenue, Albany, GA 31701-2441 (229) 434-1003
Malik African Hair Braiding - Category: Black Hair Salons - 2401 C10 Dawson Rd
Albany, GA 31707 (229) 430-1490
Marie Africa Hair Braiding - Category: Black Hair Salons - 1105 West Broad Avenue, Albany, GA 31707 (229) 434-9243
Martin Luther King Jr Beauty Salon - Category: Black Hair Salons - 2034 Martn Lthr Kng Jr Drive, Albany, GA 31701 (229) 436-4890
Tabernacle Beauty Salon - Category: Black Hair Salons - 1117 West Broad Avenue, Albany, GA 31707 (229) 431-3399
Twyla's Anointed Hair Care Salon - Category: Black Hair Salons - 1617 East Broad Avenue, Albany, GA 31705 (229) 434-9550
BLACK BUSINESSES - SERVICES - VENDORS ETC.
Albany Southwest Georgian - Category: Newspaper - Historically Black Newspaper founded by A.C. Searles - 311-A S. Jackson St., Albany, GA 31701
CULTURE
Albany Civil Rights Institute - Category: Organization - 326 Whitney Ave, Albany, GA (229) 432-1698 - (visit website)
Albany State University - Category: Colleges - Albany State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university (HBCU) located in Albany, Georgia, United States. It is one of three HBCU's in the University System of Georgia. - 504 College Drive, Albany, GA 31705
(229) 430-4600 - (visit website)
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