Christine King Farris, sister of Martin Luther King Jr, dies aged 95

Christine King Farris, the sister of slain US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr and a prominent activist herself, died on Thursday at the age of 95.

Farris died peacefully in Atlanta, Georgia, with her family by her side, according to the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, of which she was a founding board member.

Farris participated in historic events of the civil rights movement, including the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and the “March Against Fear” in Mississippi in 1966.

“Shaping the history of the journey of America in the 20th and 21st centuries, she stood for peace, freedom, and justice—virtues that reflect the best of our nation,” US President Joe Biden said in a written statement.

Christine King Farris died peacefully at age 95, according to the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta.
REUTERS

“Jill and I are saddened to learn of her peaceful passing today in Atlanta.”

Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 by avowed segregationist James Earl Ray. That year, Farris and his widow Coretta Scott King formed the King Center.

Farris joined a delegation to Washington in 2011 when Martin Luther King Jr’s monument was erected on the National Mall and was present for the 2017 unveiling of a statue of her brother at the state Capitol.


Christine King Farris is seen laying a wreath on the grave of Dr. Martin Luther King during the 2021 King Holiday Observance Beloved Community Commemorative Service on January 18, 2021, in Atlanta.
Christine King Farris is seen laying a wreath on the grave of Dr. Martin Luther King during the 2021 King Holiday Observance Beloved Community Commemorative Service on January 18, 2021, in Atlanta.
Getty Images

Christine King Farris participated in historic events like the civil rights movement and the "March Against Fear" in Mississippi in 1966.
Christine King Farris participated in historic events like the civil rights movement and the “March Against Fear” in Mississippi in 1966.
AP

Willie Christine King was born on September 11, 1927, in Atlanta.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Spelman College in 1948 and later attended New York’s Columbia University, where she earned two master’s degrees in education.

She went on to become an educator, and director of the Learning Resources Center at Spelman until her retirement in 2014.


From left to right: King's father, Martin Luther King Sr., his mother, his wife, Coretta Scott King, and his sister, Christine Farris are seen together on December 10, 1964.
From left to right: King’s father, Martin Luther King Sr., his mother, his wife, Coretta Scott King, and his sister, Christine Farris are seen together on December 10, 1964.
Getty Images

She was married to Isaac Newton Farris Sr for 57 years until his death in 2017.

The couple had two children, Isaac Newton Farris Jr and Angela Farris Watkins.

In 2003, she published a memoir on her childhood and upbringing with her brother.

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