“Community Chronicles” Celebrates Black History Month at the San Bernardino County Museum

To recognize Black History Month, the San Bernardino County Museum opens “Community Chronicles: Photographs by Henry Hooks” with a special exhibit opening reception Sunday, Jan. 31, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Henry Hooks will be in attendance and the reception will also feature the San Bernardino County Association of African American Employees choir. The exhibit, which records daily lives, social events, and notable visitors in the San Bernardino area during the mid-late 20th century, will continue through Feb. 28. Henry Hooks became enthralled with photography at a young age while working a few blocks away from a photography studio. In 1979, he retired from government employment and dedicated himself to photography by becoming a staff photographer for San Bernardino’s Precinct Reporter. “Mr. Hooks had a way, as he describes it, of ‘just showing up’ to places and events to photograph them,” said Jennifer Dickerson, the museum’s curator of history. “In doing so, he created a valuable visual history of his community. In addition to local weddings, parades, fundraisers, and church events, he captured notable individuals who visited the area, such as Jesse Jackson, Leslie Uggams, and Colin Powell. While much of Henry Hooks’ photography, as seen in this exhibit, documents African American society, his body of work chronicles the diversity of the San Bernardino area and its cultural evolution over the years.” “Community Chronicles” and the County Museum’s other exciting events and exhibits reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.