Christine King Farris, the last living sibling of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, has died.
Her niece, the Reverend Bernice King, tweeted that her “beloved aunt” died on Thursday. She was 95.
For decades after her brother’s assassination in 1968, Farris worked along with his widow, Coretta Scott King, to preserve and promote his legacy. But unlike her high-profile sister-in-law, Farris’ activism — and grief — was often behind the scenes.
“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,” said Marcellus Barksdale, a history professor at Morehouse College, of Farris in a 2009 interview. “Because of the luminescence of Dr King and Coretta Scott King, Christine kind of got dimmed by that, but she was no less important.”
Farris was born Willie Christine King on September 11, 1927, in Atlanta. She was the first child of the Reverend Martin Luther King Sr and Alberta Christine Williams King.
Farris helped Coretta Scott King build The King Centre and helped to teach Martin Luther King Jr’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance. For years, her regal, dignified presence was a mainstay at the ecumenical service celebrating her brother’s birthday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where her grandfather and father also preached and where Farris remained a member.
The King Centre tweeted on Thursday that it mourns the loss of Farris, a founding board member, former vice-chair and treasurer.
Bernice King tweeted a photo of herself with Farris, writing, “I love you and will miss you, Aunt Christine.” Martin Luther King III tweeted that he, his wife and his daughter had been able to spend time with his aunt in her final days.
