Christine King Farris, the last living sibling of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away at the age of 95. Her niece, the Rev. Bernice King, confirmed the news through a tweet expressing her sorrow.
Farris played a significant role in preserving and promoting her brother's legacy alongside Coretta Scott King, his widow, following his assassination in 1968. While her sister-in-law gained widespread recognition for her activism, Farris worked behind the scenes, contributing to the movement in her own way.
“She may not have always been on the line of the march, but that was true with a lot of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Because of the luminescence of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, Christine kind of got dimmed by that, but she was no less important,” said Marcellus Barksdale, a history professor at Morehouse College.
Born on September 11, 1927, in Atlanta as Willie Christine King, Farris was the eldest child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Christine Williams King. She assisted Coretta Scott King in establishing The King Center and played a crucial role in teaching Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolent resistance. Farris' presence was a constant source of regality and dignity during the annual ecumenical service commemorating her brother's birthday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where her grandfather and father had also preached.
Farris's contributions were recognized and acknowledged by The King Center, which mourned her loss in a tweet, accompanied by a photo. Bernice King also expressed her love and grief through a tweet, accompanied by a picture of herself with Farris. Martin Luther King III shared that he, his wife, and his daughter had the opportunity to spend time with his aunt during her final days.
“Aunt Christine embodied what it meant to be a public servant. Like my dad, she spent her life fighting for equality and against racism in America. She defied the odds that held back too many marginalized communities – going on to become a civil rights leader and acclaimed author. No stranger to adversity, Aunt Christine used the tragedies of the assassinations of her mother and brother to fight for change in America,” he tweeted
In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens conveyed the city's heavy-heartedness upon hearing the news of Farris's passing. He praised her as a force in her own right, highlighting her commitment to literacy and education during her nearly 50 years of teaching at Spelman College. Dickens quoted Farris, who believed it was their responsibility to carry out the blueprint her brother had provided for equality.
“Mrs. Farris was a force in her own right. A champion of literacy and education. As the last of the King siblings, she spent much of her life advocating for equality. She once said that her brother Martin simply gave us the blueprint, but it was our duty ‘to carry it out,” Dickens stated.
Farris authored two children's books, "My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up With the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." and "March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World." In 2009, she published a memoir "Through It All: Reflections on My Life, My Family, and My Faith." Farris often shared personal stories about her brother's childhood and early life to make him more relatable and his achievements more accessible to people.
Christine King Farris, a civil rights leader, acclaimed author, and champion of equality, outlived many of her loved ones, including her parents, two brothers, sister-in-law, and niece, Yolanda. She graduated from Spelman College in 1948 with a degree in economics, coinciding with the day Martin Luther King Jr. received his sociology degree from Morehouse College. Farris's dedication to fighting for change in America, even in the face of adversity, was evident throughout her life, and her passing marks the end of an era for the King family and the civil rights movement as a whole.
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