The Weekend Documentary: The Day Hope Died - Remembering Robert Kennedy

Through the testimony of those with him when he was shot, as well as close colleagues, friends and family, Stephen Sackur attempts to understand why Robert Kennedy left such a lasting impression on US politics and society.

Revered equally across the political spectrum today, his rise to prominence was controversial. He became Attorney General at just 35 and gained a reputation as a tough operator during his brother JFK’s time in the White House.

But when he was gunned down in 1968, America was riven by racial and class division, as well as doubts over the country’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Senator Robert Kennedy came to embody the hopes and dreams of a generation seeking a fairer and more peaceful country.

Fifty years after Kennedy became the target of an assassin in the Ambassador’s Hotel in Los Angeles, Stephen Sackur speaks to some of the people whose lives were changed forever that day.

• Producer: Ashley Byrne
• A Made in Manchester Production for BBC World Service

Publicity contact: EM3