Clara Ester, a civil rights activist and minister, has died at age 78. Multiple outlets report that Ester is remembered for rushing to the side of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. after he was shot. According to the Washington Times, she was a 20-year-old college student at the time and immediately went to King’s side following the shooting. The Independent similarly describes Ester as an activist who ran to King after the attack, highlighting her presence at a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. While the provided excerpts do not include further biographical details such as the location of her death, later activism, or surviving family, all sources agree on the core facts: Ester was an activist, she helped respond in the immediate aftermath of King’s shooting, and she dies at 78. Overall, the coverage emphasizes her role in reaching King quickly and her long-standing connection to the era’s civil rights work.