[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 172 (Friday, October 19, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING ROBERT HOOKS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 19, 2018

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Robert ``Bobby'' Dean Hooks, 
a native of the District of Columbia, for his lifetime of empowering 
African Americans in the arts and for his contributions to race 
relations in the District.
  Robert Hooks' lifelong passion for theater began at the age of nine 
with his first play, The Pirates of Penzance. He later honed his 
stagecraft at West Philadelphia High in classical works by playwrights 
such as William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett. In 1959, Mr. Hooks 
pursued acting professionally in New York City with works such as 
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun and LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka's 
Dutchman in his repertoire. Mr. Hooks simultaneously launched his 
award-winning television career with his groundbreaking role as the 
first African American lead on the original N.Y.P.D. series. He is 
recognized for his over 100 roles in film and television in a career 
that spanned over 40 years.
  During his time in New York City, Mr. Hooks also started the Group 
Theater Workshop and the Negro Ensemble Company, both of which offered 
free training in the arts to underprivileged New York City youth.
  Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mr. Hooks 
returned to the city of his birth--a move he made after meeting with 
radio host Petey Greene and then-City Administrator Walter E. 
Washington about the riots of 1968, which had engulfed the District. In 
1970, Mr. Hooks unveiled his plans for the DC Black Repertory Company, 
an all-black theater company in the District, as part of a plan to 
harness what he believed to be the socially transformative power of 
theater.
  Mr. Hooks executed his plan in partnership with D.C.-area black 
theater professionals and students at Howard University. The DC Black 
Repertory Company directly contributed to reducing community tensions 
during those tumultuous times. The group produced more than 20 plays, 
telling black stories that had not been told. The DC Black Repertory 
Company was dissolved in 1976, but its legacy continues through The 
Rep, Inc.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
recognizing Robert Hooks for his lasting artistic and social 
contributions to the African American community and to the District of 
Columbia.

                          ____________________