Commentary: To address Albany violence, we must put our egos aside!

By Ta-Sean C. Murdock

As Featured in the Times Union

Pictured: Grand Street - Albany, NY

Albany, NY - I grew up in Albany. From Madison Avenue to the South End, these streets shaped me. I’ve walked these blocks as a kid, as a young man, and now as someone trying to be part of the solution. But what I see today—what so many of us are witnessing—is heartbreaking.

There’s a heaviness in the air that comes from violence, death, and grief. It’s the weight of lives lost far too soon. Of families left devastated. Of youth raised around trauma, forced to understand pain before they ever got to experience peace. You can feel it in the silence after a shooting. You can see it in the tears at candlelight vigils. You can hear it in the strained voices of those asking, once again, “When will it end?”

But the truth is, these tragedies didn’t start this past weekend. The violence we see today is a symptom of deeper issues that have gone unaddressed for generations—poverty, lack of opportunity, broken systems, disconnection, and distrust. But one of the greatest barriers to progress in this city isn’t just what’s happening on the streets—it’s what’s happening in the rooms where decisions are made.

In Albany, there has always been ego. Strong personalities aren’t the problem—it’s when those personalities take priority over the people we claim to serve. We have leaders more interested in credit than in collaboration. Conversations that go nowhere because no one wants to be wrong. Meetings that feel more like performance than progress.

Real change requires uncomfortable conversations. It requires collective sacrifice, shared vision, and accountability. But too often in Albany, disagreement isn’t seen as a step toward growth—it’s treated as a reason to disengage entirely. We’d rather argue over who’s right than work together to fix what’s wrong.

And so the cycle continues. While we bicker, people die. While we protect our pride, families bury their children. While we point fingers, nothing fundamentally changes. We throw band-aids on bullet wounds and wonder why the bleeding won’t stop.

This isn’t about politics. This is about people. Are we truly committed to their well-being, or are we chasing clout? Are we building something lasting, or just boosting our platforms?

I’m not here to call out any one person. I’m calling on all of us—including myself—to do better. To remember why we’re here. To stop letting ego lead us while our communities fall apart. We can’t keep talking about “the people” while silencing the very voices we claim to represent.

What Albany needs is less competition and more cooperation. Less noise and more action. Less control and more connection. We need leaders who listen, who show up, and who understand that titles mean nothing if they aren’t backed by truth and trust.

I still believe in Albany—not because of what it is, but because of what it can be. I believe in the resilience of the people. I believe in the potential of our neighborhoods.