Today I learned some things about them that I hadn't known before. Through the end of the 1960's, the Rascals made a public commitment to Civil Rights that often cost them in terms of their careers. This particular song was written in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. But they also made it a policy to never play for a segregated audience and then later made a commitment to always have black acts on their concert bills.
In 1968 they wrote and released the song "A Ray of Hope" after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. As Sclafani notes in the article linked above:
The song was written for the youngest Kennedy brother, Senator Edward Kennedy, who they considered a beacon of hope in one of America’s most turbulent years.
Since I couldn't find the song on youtube, I decided to make my first ever contribution there. Enjoy!
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