This is, of course, the day on which the nation remembers the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s important to recall that a little over a quarter century ago, when this day became a federal holiday, there was still fierce opposition to the idea of honoring King.  In the Senate, that opposition was led by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC).  The final Senate vote on the measure to declare a federal holiday in King’s name was taken on October 19, 1983.*  Helms was joined in opposing the measure by seventeen of his fellow Republicans and four Democrats: James Abdnor Read more