On This Day in Music History September 16, 1972 — Three Dog Night hit No. 1 with “Black and White” Three Dog Night reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the third time with “Black and White.” Written in 1954 by lyricist David I. Arkin (father of actor Alan Arkin) and composer Earl Robinson, the song was inspired by Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that outlawed racial segregation in public schools. Their original lyric even opened with a verse about the nine justice