Larinda Hooks has a robust background in community leadership and public service, marked by significant roles in local associations and civic organizations. She has demonstrated expertise in advocating for equitable civic rights and public safety. Hooks has held leadership positions in various community groups, including serving as President of the Ericsson Street Block Association and the East Elmhurst-Corona Civic Association. Her professional experience encompasses work with the East Harlem Council for Community Improvement and Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities, Inc., where she focused on older adult services and economic development. Hooks has also been involved in education, having served as PTA President at local schools and advocating for fully funded schools and expanded community schools models.

Larinda Hooks combines a commitment to union labor with a focus on affordable housing and public safety, creating a unique ideological blend. Her legislative efforts to ensure union jobs in housing and development projects reveal a calculated approach to economic stability. Hooks's dedication to public safety through anti-violence initiatives and gun buyback programs adds an unexpected dimension to her policy stances. This juxtaposition of labor rights and community safety highlights an intricate balance in her political philosophy.