Christine King Farris, Last Living Sibling of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Passes Away at 98

ATLANTA (AP) – Christine King Farris, the last living sibling of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away on Thursday at the age of 98. Farris was a founding board member of the nonprofit that Coretta Scott King started in 1968 in the wake of her husband’s assassination, and she served in other roles at the center.

Farris was present for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington in 2013, and her niece, the Rev. Bernice King, tweeted that her “beloved aunt” had died. Martin Luther King III wrote on Twitter that his aunt “embodied what it meant to be a public servant.”

For decades after her brother’s assassination in 1968, Farris worked along with his widow, Coretta Scott King, to preserve and promote his legacy. She was a founding board member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and was a strong advocate for civil rights and social justice.

Farris was born in Atlanta in 1927, the third of five children of Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. She attended Spelman College and earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh. She was a teacher for more than 30 years, and was the first African American to teach in the DeKalb County school system.

Farris was remembered by her family and friends as a loving and devoted aunt, and a passionate advocate for civil rights and social justice. Her legacy will live on through her work to preserve and promote the legacy of her brother, Martin Luther King Jr.