| Star Parker | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Residence | Long Beach, California |
| Alma mater | Woodbury University |
| Occupation | Founder and President of CURE, Author, Political Commentator |
| Religion | Christian |
| Website | http://www.urbancure.org/ |
Star Parker (born Larstella Irby, Moses Lake, Washington, November 22, 1956 [1]) is an American syndicated columnist, social critic, book author, and conservative political activist. In 2010 she was the Republican candidate for California's 37th congressional district, but was defeated in the general election.
Parker is a syndicated columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service.[2] Her column is carried weekly by newspapers across the country and opinion sites such as Townhall.[3][4]
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A conservative African American woman, Parker spent her teen and early adult years as an unemployed mother on welfare. She has chronicled her teenaged arrests for shoplifting and publicly disclosed that she has had four abortions.[5] After embracing the Christian religion, Parker embarked upon a career as a spokesperson for conservative social and political causes. She opposes many public entitlements, claiming that welfare is similar to an invitation to 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?" She claims that 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.
In 1995 Parker founded the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), and she serves as its president. The organization was founded in Los Angeles, but is currently based in Washington, D.C.
Parker appeared as co-host on the ABC daytime talk show The View on June 19, 2007. She expressed her opposition to abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage. Parker is currently a speaker for the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute's college campus lecture program. On August 27, 2009 Parker appeared with Alaskans for Parental Rights to kick off a statewide signature drive to make teen abortions in Alaska illegal without parental consent [6]
Parker was a guest speaker at the conservative Value Voters Summit in 2009.[7]
In March 2010, Parker announced her candidacy for a congressional seat in the United States House of Representatives.[8] She entered the race as Republican candidate in California's 37th congressional district, which encompasses most of Long Beach and Compton, as well as Carson, Signal Hill, and parts of other municipalities. Her campaign emphasized personal responsibility and accountability, using her past experiences as a welfare recipient to support her arguments. Parker lost the November 2 general election, earning 22.7% of the votes. This district is currently represented by Democrat Laura Richardson. Despite her election loss, Parker affirmed her intent to pursue inner city improvement, telling supporters, "My message of freedom and individual responsibility is timeless and needs to be heard in Long Beach, Carson, Compton, Signal Hill and across the country more than ever before. I will continue to deliver that message.” [9]