King Farris, Christine
Christine King Farris, the last surviving sibling of Martin Luther King Jr. and a retired professor at Spelman College, has died. Her family announced her passing on Thursday, June 29. She was 95.
"Our family mourns the passing of my aunt, Willie Christine King Farris," said Martin Luther King III. "As the eldest sibling of my father, Martin Luther King Jr., 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."
Willie Christine King was born Sept. 11, 1927, to Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Christine Williams King into one of Atlanta's leading Black families.
Her grandfather, Adam Daniel Williams, was the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and the first president of Atlanta's NAACP chapter.
Her father, "Daddy" King later assumed control of the church and emerged as one of Atlanta's most powerful Black figures, fighting for equal pay for Black teachers. Her mother was a choir organist, and her two brothers would at times co-pastor Ebenezer with their father.
Read more about Christine King Farris on ajc.com
