Since 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been celebrated as a federal holiday. Yet, even from the start, the day was met with controversy: senators Jesse Helms and John McCain fought against the creation of the holiday, and more recently, some major figures —such as Cornel West — have started a campaign against what West called the “Santa-Claus-ification” of Dr. King. Harris Wofford also perceives Dr. King's message as becoming warped over the years, and now advocates for Americans to spending the holiday donating their service instead of just taking off of work.

It was 50 years ago today that a young Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the first 20th-century born President of the United States, defeating incumbent vice-President Richard Nixon.

We remember that historic election with the man who was coordinator of the Civil Rights section of Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign, former Sen. Harris Wofford (D-Penn.).

People from all over the world are remembering Senator Ted Kennedy, who died early this morning. We're joined by former Senator Harris Wofford (D-Pa), who worked closely with Kennedy over many, many years in the Senate, as well as Tricia Rose, professor and Chair of Africana Studies at Brown University.