Christine King Farris lying in state at Georgia Capitol
ATLANTA - Dr. Christine King Farris, civil rights leader and eldest sibling of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is lying in state at Georgia's Capitol Rotunda Friday.
Farris will lie in state from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Farris is the fourth Black American to receive this honor. Her sister-in-law Coretta Scott King was the first, followed by the late Congressman John Lewis, and Atlanta Councilman C.T. Vivian.
Dr. Farris died at 95 on June 29. Born in 1927, she was the first child of Rev. Martin Luther King S. and Alberta Christine Williams King.
Her formative years were shaped in large part on Auburn Avenue, in the house where her younger brother, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was born, and her spiritual home, the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where her grandfather, father, and brothers served as pastors. She was the longest-serving member of the church, where she served as a trustee, soloist, and leader.
CHRISTINE KING FARRIS, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S SISTER AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, DIES AT 95
In 2003, Farris published a children's book about Dr. King's childhood and the siblings' upbringing in the 1920s titled "My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." She followed that with an autobiography in 2009 titled "Though It All: Reflection on My Life, My Family, and My Faith."
Just as she watched over her younger brothers when they were children, decades later, Farris helped ensure King's legacy lived on following his assassination in 1968.
A great civil rights activist in her own right, Farris joined Coretta Scott King, King's widow, in establishing the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in northwest Atlanta in June 1968.
WASHINGTON, D.C., AUGUST 28, 2013: Christine King Farris, sister of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., arrives for an interfaith service held at the Shiloh Baptist Church to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. (Photo by Astrid Riecke
A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, Farris was married to Isaac Newton Farris Sr. for 57 years before his passing. The couple had two children, Isaac Farris Jr. and Dr. Angela Farris-Watkins.
Earlier this week, her alma mater Spelman College held a service at its Sisters Chapel with tributes to her legacy.
Over the weekend, Ebenezer Baptist Church on Auburn Avenue NE will hold an event reflecting on Farris' faith. She will like in state from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. At 6 p.m., the "Make A Joyful Noise" musical tribute will begin.
The final event reflecting on her life and legacy will take place Sunday, also at Ebenezer Baptist Church. She will lie in state from 3 to 4:30 p.m. with a Celebration of Life at 5 p.m.