Christine King Farris, sister of U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., has died at age 95.
The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, where Farris was a founding board member, announced the news of her passing Thursday on their website.
In a statement from the King Center, the non-profit organization wrote, she “overflowed with acts of service, love, and education that inspired the world for nearly a century.”
The King Center Mourns the Loss of Dr. #ChristineKingFarris, Founding Board Member, Esteemed Educator, Author, Activist, and Sister of #MLK pic.twitter.com/jvf38iJk1U
— The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center (@TheKingCenter) June 29, 2023
Furthermore, the statement said Farris was “a strong supporter” of her brother and his efforts in the civil rights movement.
The organization shared:
“She marched in the Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights in 1965 and the March Against Fear in Mississippi on June 26, 1966. She encouraged audiences at the 50th Anniversary of the March on
Washington to become champions for nonviolence and reminisced about her brother’s speech saying. ‘On that day, Martin achieved greatness because he melded the hopes and dreams of millions into a grand vision of healing, reconciliation, and brotherhood. The dream my brother
shared with our nation and world on that sweltering day of days fifty years ago, continues to nurture and sustain nonviolent activists worldwide in their struggle for freedom and human rights… .'”President Joe Biden also honored Farris, whom he recently saw a few months prior, in a written statement on the White House official website.
“Alongside her brother, she was active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She also served as Vice Chair and Treasurer of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change,” he wrote.
Biden also credited Farris for, “Shaping the history of the journey of America in the 20th and 21st centuries.”
He added, “She stood for peace, freedom, and justice—virtues that reflect the best of our nation.”
“Jill and I are saddened to learn of her peaceful passing today in Atlanta. We send our condolences to the King family as our Nation mourns her life of faith, service, and grace,” Biden concluded.