Statement on the Death of Christine King Farris

I last saw Mrs. Christine King Farris this past January at Sunday services at Ebenezer Baptist Church to celebrate the life of her brother, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The eldest child of the King family, she lived as an example of America's promise. Raised by a Black preacher in the Deep South, educated at Spelman College and Columbia University, over nine decades she became an esteemed educator and civil rights leader. 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. 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.

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.