Christine King Farris lies in state at Georgia Capitol

Around 1 p.m. on Friday, a small saxophone rang out in the Georgia State Capitol during a memorial service for Christine King Farris, modulating between soft notes and booming noise.

With its ability to capture a room without taking up much space, the instrument embodied Farris’ characteristic “quiet strength,” a trait her son, Isaac Newton Farris Jr., told reporters he hopes to emulate.

The eldest and last surviving sibling of Martin Luther King Jr., Christine King Farris was an influential figure in her own right as an author, professor, and civil rights advocate. She died on June 29 at age 95.

Farris is only the fourth Black Georgian to lie in state at the Capitol, a testament to her enduring power, and a profound contrast to King Jr.’s own death. When the civil rights leader was killed in 1968, Georgia’s segregationist governor refused to close the Capitol for a funeral or give state workers the day off.

Yet on Friday, Farris lay in the Capitol Rotunda, surrounded by its sweeping marble staircases, her white casket flanked by a portrait of herself and King Jr. Fuscia roses and lavender sprigs stood where she lay.

Credit: Katelyn Myrick

Credit: Katelyn Myrick

Celebrations of Farris’ life, which was checkered by tragedy but defined by resilience, will continue throughout the weekend at Ebenezer Baptist Church, ending with her funeral Sunday afternoon at the church where her father and brother preached.

Various members of Georgia’s political elite spoke during Farris’ memorial service on Friday, including Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, and many recognized the rare moment of political unity.

Farris Jr. spoke for the King family and thanked Kemp for “doing the right thing” by having his mother lie in state.

“We are honoring Georgia history here today,” Farris Jr. said. “Not Georgia Black history, not Georgia Democratic history, not Georgia Republican history. This is Georgia history.”

Drawing on that history, Kemp said that Farris enabled her brother’s civil rights work and compared her to Coretta Scott King, King Jr.’s wife and the first Black Georgian to lie in state.

“(Scott King) was absolutely an anchor and support for her husband. Today we can say the same for Dr. King Farris,” Kemp said. “She was a gracious and courageous woman, an inspiration to many and one of the most influential civil rights leaders of her time.”

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Warnock, too, set Farris’ life within the broader context of Georgia’s past, highlighting that she grew up in the era of segregation and ended her life with a great political honor.

“It is appropriate, it is right, it is fitting for her to be here,” Warnock said of her position in the Rotunda.

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

As the longest-serving faculty member at Spelman College, an historically Black school for women, Farris’ wisdom touched many young Georgians, with fellow Spelman alumna and State Sen. Gail Davenport (D, Clayton County) calling her a “superb educator, a teacher of teachers.”

While delivering the benediction, Warnock likewise drew attention to Farris’ commitment to education, both in and out of the classroom.

“She taught one last lesson,” he told the quiet room. “She taught us how to die.”