Louis Armstrong remembered

Queens College is bringing back the Grand Forks Herald reporter, Larry Lubenow, who snuck into Louis Armstrong’s hotel room while he was on tour in North Dakota and published the now-famous harsh comments directed at the U.S. government in defense of efforts made by nine African-American students who wanted access to Central High School in Little Rock in 1957.
The Langston Hughes Library, located at 100-01 Northern Boulevard is presenting “Louis Armstrong and Little Rock: What Really Happened” on Tuesday, September 18 at 7 p.m.
This free special event commemorates the 50th anniversary of the moment when Louis Armstrong spoke out against the injustice of discrimination in U.S. schools even after the passing of desegregation laws.
Lubenow will be interviewed by Vanity Fair Editor David Margolick on his historic discussion with Armstrong on Civil Rights.
Louis Armstrong became one of the giants of jazz. He died of a heart attack on July 6, 1971 at age 69.
During his interview with Lubenow, Armstrong let loose calling President Dwight D. Eisenhower “two-faced.” The story was read worldwide and shattered the image some held of Armstrong as passive on race relations and catapulted him into the role of a Civil Rights leader.
From 5 to 6:30 p.m., the public is invited to the Louis Armstrong House Museum for house tours and to view the current exhibit. The Louis Armstrong and Little Rock interview will be held in the auditorium of the Langston Hughes Community Library.
The Louis Armstrong House Museum is open to the public six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. For more information and travel directions visit www.louisarmstronghouse.org. For information on other Little Rock commemoration events visit www.nps.gov/chsc/50th-anniversary.htm.