Christine King Farris, the last living sibling of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died Thursday at the age of 95, her family confirmed.
Bernice King, Farris’ niece, tweeted: “I love you and will miss you, Aunt Christine.” Martin Luther King III tweeted that he and his family had been with Farris in her final days and that Farris “leaves behind a tremendous legacy that will outlive us all and we commit to carrying that legacy on for future generations.”
Born Willie Christine King on Sept. 11, 1927, in Atlanta, Georgia, Farris was King Jr.’s eldest sibling, as the first child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Christine Williams King, according to the AP. Following the 1968 assassination of King Jr., Farris supported his widow, Coretta Scott King, to preserve and promote his legacy by helping to build The King Center and sharing King Jr.’s beliefs of nonviolent resistance.
“We are not going to be distracted.
We are not going to be defeated.”Dr. #ChristineKingFarris, now a great ancestor, speaks in Washington D.C., nearly 10 years ago, at the 50th anniversary of the March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom and ‘I Have A Dream.’ pic.twitter.com/CbiYr56sf9
— The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center (@TheKingCenter) June 29, 2023
Farris, who due to the flu could not participate in Dr. King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington where he delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, attended the 50th anniversary of the march, according to The Guardian. There, she said, “Our challenge then as followers of Martin Luther King Jr. is to honor his life, leadership, and legacy by living our lives in a way that carries forward his unfinished work.” (RELATED: ‘Tougher Than Anybody’: Civil Rights Icon Suffers Fall During 90th Birthday Event)
I love you and will miss you, Aunt Christine. pic.twitter.com/NXHsqaTVET
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) June 29, 2023
The King Center recognized her as the center’s founding board member and an educator for 64 years.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said, “Our hearts are heavy in Atlanta today, with the news that Christine King Farris has died,” and described Farris as “a force in her own right” and a “champion of literacy and education,” according to a press release from his office.
An author, Farris was a Professor Emerita at Spelman College and its longest-serving faculty member, having served for 56 years, according to the college’s records.
Farris was predeceased by her husband, Isaac Newton Farris Sr., and is survived by her children Isaac Farris Jr. and Angela Farris Watkins, as well as by other relatives.