Christine King Farris, last sibling of Martin Luther King Jr, dies aged 95

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

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

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

Christine King Farris participated in historic events of the civil rights movement, including the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. She was also a participant of the “March Against Fear” in Mississippi in 1966.

Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 after which Christine King Farris formed the King Center.

She also joined a delegation to Washington in 2011 when Martin Luther King Jr’s monument was erected on the National Mall.

Christine King Farris was present for the 2017 unveiling of a statue of her brother at the state Capitol.

Born on September 11, 1927, in Atlanta, she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Spelman College in 1948 and attended Columbia University, where she earned two master’s degrees.

She was married to Isaac Newton Farris Sr until his death in 2017. The couple had two children.