Star Parker is an American

syndicated columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the form of a short essay ...

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician, author, and

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

political activist. In 1995, she founded the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). In 2010, she was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

in California's 37th District.

Biography

Parker was born Larstella Irby in Moses Lake, Washington; she was raised in a non-religious home by often-absent parents. She has made the claim that after one arrest for

shoplifting Shoplifting is the theft of goods from an open retail establishment, typically by concealing a store item on one's person, in pockets, under clothes or in a bag, and leaving the store without paying. With clothing, shoplifters may put on items ...

, her high school guidance counselor told her "not to worry about it, because I was a 'victim of racism, lashing out at society.'" She began advocating for conservative social and political causes, and founded CURE in 1995. After she was laid off from her job as a program host on Los Angeles radio station KABC (after the outlet was purchased by

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

), Parker devoted her efforts to CURE full-time.

Center for Urban Renewal and Education

In 1995, Parker founded the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, and later changed its name to the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). Located in Washington, D.C., CURE is a policy-oriented and politically conservative think-tank; Parker serves as its president.

Activities

Parker has been a syndicated columnist with the Creator's News Syndicate. Her column is carried weekly by newspapers across the country and opinion sites such as

Townhall Townhall is an American politically conservative website, print magazine and radio news service. Previously published by The Heritage Foundation, it is now owned and operated by Salem Communications. The website features more than 80 columns (b ...

. She was a guest on the TV program ''

Politically Incorrect ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...

''. In 2017, Star Parker joined the White House Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives advisory team to share ideas on which policies would improve the nation's most distressed zip codes. In 2018, she was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to the U.S
Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission

Views

Parker supports cuts to welfare claiming that welfare has become like a government plantation, which creates a situation where those who accept the invitation switch mindsets from "How do I take care of myself?" to "What do I have to do to stay on the plantation?".Star Parker, ''Uncle Sam's Plantation'', Thomas Nelson, November 2003 She believes stable families and strong moral values are the key to ending poverty. She has asserted a moral objection to abortion and claims that rampant abortion has hurt black families. She opposes

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

and using tax dollars to fund birth control.

Congressional campaign

In March 2010, Parker announced her candidacy for Congress in California's 37th District, which encompasses most of

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

and Compton, as well as Carson, Signal Hill, and parts of other municipalities. She lost the November 2 general election to

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Laura Richardson Laura Richardson (born April 14, 1962) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2013. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously represented the 55th district in the California State Assembly fo ...

, earning 22.7 percent of the vote.

Books

* 1998: ''Pimps, Whores and Welfare Brats: From Welfare Cheat to Conservative Messenger'' (

Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing ...

, ) * 2003: ''Uncle Sam's Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It'' ( Thomas Nelson, ) * 2006: ''White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay'' (Thomas Nelson, ) * 2014: ''Blind Conceit: Politics, Policy and Racial Polarization: Moving Forward to Save America'' (Sumner Books, ) * 2019: ''Necessary Noise: How Donald Trump Inflames the Culture War and Why This Is Good News for America'' (Center Street, )

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Star 1956 births Living people 21st-century American journalists 21st-century Christians 21st-century American women writers Activists from California African-American Christians African-American journalists American columnists American political commentators American political writers American anti-abortion activists California Republicans American Christian creationists Christians from California Discrimination against LGBT people in the United States E. W. Scripps Company people Female critics of feminism Journalists from California Los Angeles City College alumni Woodbury University alumni American women non-fiction writers American women columnists Black conservatism in the United States 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women