Singer-songwriter John Stewart once said his song, “Dreamers on the Rise” was about the campaign workers who worked so optimistically, and ultimately, tragically, on Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. I’ve expanded the song visually and made it more personal and directly related to Stewart’s 1960s political hopes. When Stewart was a member of the Kingston Trio he personally gave President Kennedy a copy of the Trio’s new album, “The New Frontier,” named after Kennedy’s vision of economic and social development. Although their meeting was brief the two men bonded. The Trio was recording a new album when Kennedy was assassinated and the grief Stewart felt inspired him to write “Song for a Friend” over the weekend that all Americans who were alive at the time, still remember with a rare clarity. Stewart also marched in Selma during the civil rights movement with Dr. Martin Luther King. Where he could have traded on his high profile as a member of the Trio by publicly announcing his participation as a celebrity, he chose instead to remain low-key and show his support as one man among many. Stewart first met Robert Kennedy when he was Attorney General under his brother’s presidency and Stewart’s friendships with both, RFK and JFK, and his participation in RFK’s presidential campaign, made him an endearing friend of the Kennedy family. Although John Stewart is no longer alive, his death has not diminished the love and respect the Kennedy family has for him. To view “Dreamers on the Rise” click https://youtu.be/0oMdzPofLzc
Visit the John Stewart documentary project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JohnStewartDocumentary
John Stewart Documentary Project 