Harlem Renaissance Project

08/13/2026

A full-circle moment for Harlem. 💛 For 18 years, the Samaritan Clinic has cared for our community with one simple mission: making sure our neighbors have somewhere to turn when they need care. Now, that mission has a new home right here in the Historic Harlem District. We’re proud to welcome Samaritan Clinic to the Legacy Wellness Center, and even prouder of the history, service, and heart they bring with them. This is what it looks like when a legacy of care comes home.

Appointments are required. Call 229-436-5731 to schedule.

Eighteen years ago, their story started in a small brick building.

In 2008, the Samaritan Clinic opened its doors in a building provided by Phoebe Putney. It was born out of Mt. Zion’s health ministry and a simple, urgent conviction: no one in Albany should go without care because they can't afford it.

At the time, roughly 1 in 5 of our neighbors in Dougherty County had no insurance at all. So volunteer doctors and nurses showed up. They treated diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. They caught things early. They found surgeons for patients who had nowhere else to turn. And year after year, the Samaritan Clinic quietly became the safety net for Albany, the go-to place for the uninsured and underinsured.

It was neighbors taking care of neighbors.

For over 18 years, the clinic carried that torch, the same torch lit by Harlem's healers generations before, when this district's own doctors, dentists, nurses, and midwives cared for a community that couldn't get care anywhere else. In 2025 alone, the Samaritan Clinic served 918 patients.

And now, the torch comes home.

The Samaritan Clinic is officially open at the Legacy Wellness Center, Phase 1 of the Harlem Renaissance Project, in the heart of the Historic Harlem District. Same mission. Same heart. A new home built for it: primary care, preventive screenings, vision, dental, medication assistance, and care coordination, all under one roof, alongside behavioral health and a genomics research lab with the Morehouse School of Medicine.

From a borrowed building to a permanent home. From a safety net to a cornerstone. Eighteen years of showing up, and the Samaritan Clinic is just getting started.

Appointments are required. Call 229-436-5731 to schedule your visit, and share this post with anyone in Albany who needs care.

Reclaim. Restore. Reinvigorate.

08/12/2026

A little Harlem history for your timeline.

Did you know the Albany Civil Rights Institute, Old Mt. Zion Baptist Church, and Shiloh Baptist Church are all located right here in Albany’s historic Harlem District?

These places hold an incredible piece of Albany’s story and help preserve the history of the Albany Movement and the people whose courage helped shape the Civil Rights Movement far beyond our city.

If you’ve never visited, add this one to your list. There’s a lot of history to discover right here in Harlem.

08/11/2026

We know we’re a little biased, but we love seeing Samaritan Clinic in the spotlight. Thank you, Downtown Albany, for helping spread the word!

And to our community: Samaritan Clinic is officially open at the Legacy Wellness Center and ready to serve. Appointments are required, so please call 229-436-5731 to schedule your visit.

We’re excited to welcome you through the doors and connect you with care right here in the neighborhood.

07/31/2026

From vision to reality. What was once an empty building is now the Legacy Wellness Center, the completed first phase of the Harlem Renaissance Project. This transformation represents more than a renovated building. It's the first visible step in a much larger vision for Harlem, and it's only the beginning.

Thank you to everyone who believed in the vision and helped make Phase 1 a reality.

07/28/2026

Momentum is building across the neighborhood.

The continued revitalization of the Ritz Cultural Center is another exciting step for this historic corridor. Projects like this help preserve Albany’s rich history while creating new opportunities for arts, culture, and community for generations to come.

We’re excited to see our neighbors moving forward and look forward to the continued transformation happening throughout the Harlem District and Downtown Albany.

07/27/2026

We’re grateful to WALB’s Dialogue with Karla Heath-Sands for the opportunity to share an update on the Harlem Renaissance Project. In this conversation, Project Development Consultant LaToya Cutts and Raven Riley, Executive Director of Samaritan Clinic, discuss the vision behind the project, the impact of the Legacy Wellness Center, and what’s ahead for the Harlem District.

Take a few minutes to watch the conversation and see how this vision is becoming a reality, one step at a time.

07/24/2026

We’re excited to be part of the conversation and even more excited for what’s ahead. Thank you for continuing to champion the momentum happening in Downtown and Harlem.

The vision for Downtown Albany continues to come to life!

Join us as Downtown Albany Manager Lequrica Gaskins appears on WALB News 10's Dialogue with Karla Heath-Sands to share exciting updates on the progress of the Downtown Master Plan, including the Albany Museum of Art groundbreaking, the The St. Nicholas Hotel redevelopment, the Ritz Cultural Center's Fox Theatre grant, the 4C Academy Front Street, and other new businesses and developments shaping our community.

Also featured are Raven Riley, Executive Director of the Mt Zion CRC, and Latoya Cutts, Project Development Consultant, who discuss the grand opening of the Legacy Wellness Center and the continued revitalization of the Harlem District.

📺 Tune in Sunday:
• 9:00 AM – BOUNCE
• 9:30 AM – NBC
• 10:00 AM – ABC

Don't miss this conversation about the exciting future of Downtown Albany!

06/24/2026

Thank you for sharing. It’s been inspiring to see so many organizations, partners, and community members come together around a shared vision for Harlem’s future. 💛🩷💚

Revival is taking shape in Downtown Albany’s historic Harlem District. ✨

The Harlem Renaissance Project is honoring the district’s powerful legacy while creating new opportunities for healthcare, housing, business growth, and community connection. With Phase I now underway, this important redevelopment effort is helping reimagine what’s possible for one of Albany’s most historic neighborhoods.

Read the latest Main Street Buzz to learn more about the project and the vision guiding its future.

🔗 Read more: https://georgiamainstreet.org/news/revival-takes-shape-in-downtown-albanys-harlem-district/

06/20/2026

Freedom is worth remembering, celebrating, and protecting.

Today, we honor the history of Juneteenth and celebrate the progress made while recognizing the work that still lies ahead. Together, we continue moving forward.

Happy Juneteenth from Harlem Renaissance Project.

06/02/2026

We’re grateful for partners like ACT who saw the vision and helped move it forward. This milestone belongs to the entire community.