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Sharon Preston-Folta, who kept the secret of her parentage for five decades, is coming to Long Island this summer alongside the Emmy-award-winning film she produces and stars in, “Little Satchmo.”
The Roosevelt Public Library, located at 27 West Fulton Avenue, will host the screening on Thursday, June 6 at 6 p.m., the library announced.
Preston-Folta will join in a live, in-person discussion about the movie following the screening.
The documentary, based on Preston-Folta’s memoir of the same name, dives into how she had no choice but to conceal the fact that she is the product of a two-decade love affair between Armstrong and Harlem dancer Lucille ‘Sweets’ Preston.
“Armstrong’s wholesome, non-threatening image preserved his singular career as a black performer with unfettered access to a white man's world. Yet he was more than a caricature. In private, he held tightly to the things he loved,” the library wrote of the film.
Besides peering into the trumpet player's music and personal life, “Little Satchmo” explores complex themes of race, family, identity, single-parent households, and, of course, father-daughter relationships.
Originally premiered in 2021, the documentary went on to win the Southeast Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary during the 49th annual awards.
Louis Armstrong, known for songs such as "What A Wonderful World," "La Vie En Rose," and many more, was born in New Orleans in 1901 and died in New York City in 1971 at the age of 69. Though he had four marriages over the course of his life, they did not produce any children, leading the public to believe Armstrong had left behind no children.
The event is scheduled to last until 8 p.m.
Guests who would like to attend must register. For more information, click here.
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