1972 No. 1 Hit That Turned a Protest Song Into an Enduring Classic

In the Summer of 1972, Three Dog Night took an almost-20-year-old song, once a protest song centered around one of America's most urgent political and social crises, and revived the anthem for a new generation.

"Black and White," originally written in 1954 by David I. Arkin and Earl Robinson, was written the same year as the ruling on Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decision that deemed segregation in schools to be unconstitutional. While the decision arrived ten years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, desegregation in education continued to persist for decades due to a number of social and legislative loopholes.

Desegregation busing, bolstered by the Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education ruling in 1971, became a popular method - although highly divisive - civil rights measure for the remainder of the decade, rising to prominence at the time of Three Dog Night's cover of the protest anthem.

Arkin and Robinson's original composition, performed by Pete Seeger and an unnamed black schoolchild upon its commercial release, was a modest hit at the time and had been covered by several artists sporadically over the years. It was Three Dog Night's version, with their recent chart success and timely rock sound, that brought the anthem to a new audience.

Three Dog Night, itself a multiracial group with African-American drummer Floyd Sneed, a core member of the band, stood out compared to the consciously white groups that had dominated pop at the turn of the decade. Led by vocalist Danny Hutton and featuring a group of children in its chorus, the cover utilised the band's existing commercial appeal with the child-friendly simplicity of the original to unite listeners across the generations.

Three Dog Night's version removed the more timely references to the Brown ruling two decades prior, namely The schoolhouse doors were closed so tight / Nine judges all set down their names. This choice, although perhaps generalising the song in a way that warrants criticism, broadened its audience attraction, topping both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Easy Listening charts.

"Black and White" became one of Three Dog Night's signature hits, representing the group's diversity during the racial and political divisions of the era, combined with its ability to tap into the emerging, sprawling sound of '70s rock, now highly distinguishable from the cultural explosion of rock music in the previous decade. The cover reinvigorated interest in a simple message of racial harmony that united generations and cultures across divisions.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 11:44 AM.