Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: Alright, today is May the tenth, I'm here with Archie Goodbee here in Albany for the Albany African American History Project. I want to thank you again for agreeing to be interviewed for this project Archie. Archie Goodbee: Pleasure. Lacey Wilson: We'll start at the beginning. You are, I believe, one of the few interviewees I've had this project who was actually born in Albany. Archie Goodbee: Yes. Lacey Wilson: When were you born? Archie Goodbee: August 18th, 1942.

Segment Synopsis: Archie Goodbee discusses his childhood in North Carolina, where he moved after being born in Albany, New York. He discusses helping his mother's side of the family on their farm while his father was in the military. Afterwards, he talks about his family after returning from North Carolina to Albany

Keywords: Early Life; Farms; Albany, New York

Subjects: Families; Farms; Early Life

Partial Transcript: Archie Goodbee: I was also one of the owners of this place called "The Rafters" in Saratoga. The rafters, I'll call it for lack of a better term, a dancing emporium.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee reflects on his partial ownership of a dancehall called "The Rafters". He reflects on the fact that the day he opened it had the largest black attendance in the history of "The Rafters".

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Dancing

Subjects: Entrepreneurship; The Rafters; Dancing

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: And then he came back and we talked earlier about him being a boxer. Archie Goodbee: Absolutely. Lacey Wilson: I want to get into that

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee discusses his father's boxing career following his career in the Navy. He talks about being unable to watch his father box and boxing's presence in his family. He then dives in to his own boxing career, explaining the highlights of that period.

Keywords: Father; Training; Boxing

Subjects: Claim to Fame; Diamond Belt; Fathers; Fighting; Careers

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: So what do you remember about growing up in Albany? Archie Goodbee: It was a good town in the sense that there were some black entrepreneurs here.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee explains how different Albany used to be when he was a child. He also highlights the black community in Albany at the time of his childhood.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Early Life

Subjects: Entrepreneurs; Theaters; Childhood

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: So talk to me, the black entrepreneurship is interesting. I've heard of two of those black bars that you mentioned, both Dorsey's and the Two Sisters. What other businesses were there?

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee talks about the black entrepreneurs in Albany at the time of his childhood. He specifically mentioned theaters and bars in the city. This mention of theaters sparks a conversation about racial differences between North Carolina and New York. Goodbee talks about the segregation he saw as a very young child in North Carolina.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Segregation; Business

Subjects: Entrepreneurship; Theaters; Black Community

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: Do you remember going out to hear any live music? Archie Goodbee: In those days? Yeah, in my teenage years of course.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee starts by discussing live music he heard as a teenager. He then mentions singing groups he partook in as a young man, in Middle and High School.

Keywords: singing; Music

Subjects: Singing groups; Talent; Charm Kings

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: So, any friendships Still Maintained from those days? Archie Goodbee: Oh, absolutely.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee starts by discussing live music he heard as a teenager. He then mentions singing groups he partook in as a young man, in Middle and High School.

Keywords: High school; Middle School; Friendship

Subjects: Friends

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: Can you describe for me the Black Excellence Ensemble? Started by Mars Hill? Archie Goodbee: Let's get it correct, it's the Black Experience Ensemble.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee details the theater/playwriting group he was in as a young man, known as the Black Experience Ensemble. He talks about a play they performed at colleges about Malcom X, and Goodbee's role in the group

Keywords: Theater; Writing; Community Organizing

Subjects: Community Organization; Mars Hill; Black Experience Ensemble

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: Explain that transition to broadcasting, because some people will go and just be on TV for a bit but that doesn't always lead to a career. Archie Goodbee: I probably was in school, I don't remember all of it, but here's what happened.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee discusses how the Black Experience Ensemble brought him into the world of broadcasting. He talks about his first news job, as a rewrite reporter. He then delves into his job selling ads for Channel 10.

Keywords: Televison; Broadcasting

Subjects: Broadcasting; Black Community News

Partial Transcript: Archie Goodbee: And then the Soul Shack, which was a pretty big place. The Soul Shack was run and owned by a fellow named Wilbert Roberts.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee discusses a local black bar he helped out at called the Soul Shack. He talks about groups like the Ohio Players that played there.

Keywords: Bars

Subjects: Soul Shack; Wilbert Roberts; Bars

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: I'm interested in the fact that you've always been this MC kind of person, so when did you start doing that? Archie Goodbee: Probably after radio.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee discusses how he has been an announcer of sorts his whole life. He identifies the beginning of this as during his career in radio.

Keywords: Records; Radio

Subjects: James Brown; Radio; Records; Black Radio

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: But you were still breaking some stories, some local stories, and being able to be a face on the TV as well as doing that [radio career].

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee explains his various news programs on Channel 10, including Sign Off News and Black Community News.

Keywords: Televison; Local News

Subjects: Black Community News; Channel 10; Sign Off News; Black Community

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: And then when did you join the military? Were you doing the military during any of this? Archie Goodbee: I was doing National Guard.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee outlines his career in the Army and especially in Korea. He starts with his reaction to learning that he's going to Korea.

Keywords: National Guard, Reserve; Army

Subjects: Korea; Reserve; Vietnam; Army

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: So what did you teach? Archie Goodbee: Math. I'm sorry, English

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee talks about his experience teaching English, and filling in for an Algebra teacher at his school. He talks about transferring from school to school.

Keywords: English; Math; Education

Subjects: Math; Teaching; English

Partial Transcript: Archie Goodbee: And then I got a call from the same group of people, half of them were engineers at IBM. I get a call "Hey, they're looking for somebody and I think they're looking for somebody black if you catch my drift".

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee discusses how he joined IBM and his initial reluctance to join. However, he was won over by the promise of increased pay.

Keywords: Systems Engineering; IBM

Subjects: IBM; Engineering

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: So when does the Air Force come in? What happens after law school? Archie Goodbee: After law school actually begins the TV career. That's when I get hired as a rewrite at channel 13.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee explains how he joined Channel 13 after leaving law school. He briefly overviews his career at the channel.

Keywords: Reporting; News

Subjects: Channel 13

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: When did you join [the NAACP], do you remember? Archie Goodbee: I don't remember when I joined, I remember when I got elected.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee recalls his role as the president of the NAACP. He recounts his experience with recruiting lawyers to the organization

Keywords: NAACP

Subjects: NAACP; President; Elections

Partial Transcript: Lacey Wilson: Did you run for mayor? Archie Goodbee: Absolutely. Lacey Wilson: When did you run for mayor? What year was that? Archie Goodbee: 2007

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee reflects on his 2007 mayoral campaign. He highlights how much attention he was able to bring up.

Keywords: Mayor; Campaign

Subjects: Election; Mayor; Campaign

Partial Transcript: Archie Goodbee: Probably my claim to fame in broadcasting was probably being president and CEO of Seeway Broadcasting

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee reflects on his time as President and CEO of Seeway Broadcasting.

Keywords: Chicago; Television; Broadcasting

Subjects: Chicago; President; Seeway Broadcasting; CEO

Partial Transcript: Archie Goodbee: I was also one of the owners of this place called "The Rafters" in Saratoga. The rafters, I'll call it for lack of a better term, a dancing emporium.

Segment Synopsis: Goodbee reflects on his partial ownership of a dancehall called "The Rafters". He reflects on the fact that the day he opened it had the largest black attendance in the history of "The Rafters".

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Dancing

Subjects: Entrepreneurship; The Rafters; Dancing