Tributes for Christine King Farris, sister of MLK Jr., continue through weekend

ATLANTA — In the rotunda of the Georgia State Capitol Friday, Georgia residents were in mourning for a lady who walked with “Kings.”

Dr. Christine King Farris, the sister of revered civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., passed away on June 29.

As previously reported by Channel 2′s Bryan Mims, her loved ones remember her as a scholar and a powerful matriarch for their family.

In the state capitol, King Farris lies in state, as part of a three-day memorial to honor her work and her legacy.

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“She was a humble woman and didn’t require a lot of attention or showering. But what she ‘did’ require is to live a committed life,” son Isaac Farris, Jr. said.

Family members of King Farris were not the only Georgians gathered to honor her life and legacy.

She is known for having led by example. The big sister of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., many say she truly was her brother’s keeper.

“I would even venture to say that without her, the boy who would grow up and become a legendary civil rights leader whose memory continues to inspire people around the world even today—would have had a different path in life,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

King Farris was at her brother’s side during his life, and when he was gone, she continued his work.

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King Farris was also a civil rights leader in her own right. She worked closely with her brother’s widow Coretta Scott King to establish The King Center, earning her a title among family as “the power behind the throne” and helping shape her brother’s legacy.

She was the longest-serving member of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the longest-serving faculty member at Spelman College, where she taught for nearly 60 years.

King Farris was also honored by the NAACP, among other organizations, and recognized for her community leadership.

After a life of 95 years well lived, she is the fourth Black American to lie in state in the Georgia capitol rotunda.

U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, her pastor at Ebenezer, delivered the eulogy.

“Here lies a great daughter of a great state. Georgia is better because she passed our way,” Warnock said.

Remembrances for King Farris continue through the weekend. She’ll be lying in state at the capitol until 7 p.m. Friday.

On Saturday morning, King Farris will lie in repose at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

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