▁with ▁his ▁sib lings ▁to ▁Luc ama , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁to ▁work ▁the ▁to b acco ▁fields ▁for ▁his ▁uncle ' s ▁share cro pping ▁farm ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁help ▁ear n ▁money ▁for ▁the ▁coming ▁school ▁year ▁in ▁D . C . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁just ▁as ▁Brown ▁vs . ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ▁was ▁being ▁implemented ▁in ▁the ▁north , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Philadelphia ▁to ▁be ▁with ▁his ▁mother , ▁her ▁second ▁husband , ▁and ▁his ▁half - s ister , ▁Saf ia ▁Abd ul lah ▁( née ▁Sh aron ▁Dick erson ). ▁Hook s ▁experienced ▁his ▁first ▁integrated ▁school ▁experience ▁at ▁West ▁Philadelphia ▁High ▁School . ▁Hook s ▁soon ▁joined ▁the ▁drama ▁club ▁and ▁began ▁acting ▁in ▁plays ▁by ▁William ▁Shakespeare ▁and ▁Samuel ▁Beck ett . ▁He ▁was ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁passing ▁on ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁Temple ▁University ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁stage ▁actor ▁at ▁the ▁B ess ie ▁V . ▁H icks ▁School ▁of ▁Theatre ▁( al ong side ▁Charles ▁D ier kop ▁and ▁Bruce ▁D ern , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁second - act ed ▁plays ▁doing ▁their ▁pre - B road way ▁try outs ▁in ▁Philadelphia ) ▁while ▁working ▁at ▁Brow ning ▁King , ▁a ▁men ' s ▁tail or ▁shop ▁at ▁Four teenth ▁and ▁Ch est nut ▁streets . ▁ ▁Career ▁Having ▁trained ▁at ▁the ▁B ess ie ▁V . ▁Smith ▁School ▁of ▁Theatre ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁and ▁after ▁seeing ▁A