Dr. Christine King Farris to lie in state at Georgia Capitol on July 14

Caption

Dr. Christine King Farris reading to children at Hope Hill Elementary School.

Credit: Atlanta Public Schools

Dr. Christine King Farris will lie in state at the Georgia Capitol Rotunda on Friday, July 14, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

A memorial service in her honor is scheduled from 12:30 to 1 p.m.  

Farris, who was the last living sibling of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is the fourth Black American to receive such honors. Coretta Scott King was the first, followed by Congressman John Lewis, and Atlanta Councilman C.T. Vivian.

Farris passed on June 29 at age 95 with family members by her side. After her brother’s assassination in 1968, Farris worked with the family to establish The King Center.

Farris returned to her alma mater, Spelman College, where she worked for more than 50 years. In 1960, she married Isaac Newton Farris. The couple had two children, Angela Christine Farris Watkins and Isaac Newton Farris Jr.

Visit www.thekingcenter.org for a complete list of activities honoring Dr. Farris. In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Christine King Farris Legacy Foundation, Inc. at https://giv.li/o5fi8e

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Rough Draft Atlanta.