| Star Parker | |
| Birth Name: | Larstella Irby |
| Birth Date: | 23 October 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Occupation: | Political writer and commentator |
Star Parker (born October 23, 1955) is an American syndicated columnist, Republican candidate, author, TV Host, and conservative political activist. In 1995, she founded the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). In 2010 2010, she was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the United States House of Representatives in California's 37th District.
Parker was born in Seattle, Washington; she was raised in a non-religious home by often-absent parents.[1] She has made the claim that after one arrest for shoplifting, her high school guidance counselor told her "not to worry about it, because I was a 'victim of racism, lashing out at society.'" [2] 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), Parker devoted her efforts to CURE full-time.[3]
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). She founded CURE to bring new ideas to policy discussions on how to transition America’s poor from government dependency to self-sufficiency.[4] Located in Washington, D.C., CURE is a policy-oriented and politically conservative think tank. Its stated goals are to fight poverty and restore dignity through scholarship supporting faith, freedom, and personal responsibility. Parker serves as its president.[3]
Parker has been a syndicated columnist with the Creator's News Syndicate.[5] Her column is carried weekly by newspapers across the country and opinion sites such as Townhall.[6] [7] She was a guest on the TV program Politically Incorrect.[8] She is a regular commentator on national television and radio networks including Newsmax, EWTN, and FOX News. She contributes weekly segments for Straight Arrow News.
In 2016, CPAC honored her as the “Ronald Reagan Foot Soldier of the Year.” In 2017, Star was the recipient of the Groundswell Impact award, and in 2018, Bott Radio Network presented Star with its annual Queen Esther award.
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.[9]
Parker testified before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice regarding the Heartbeat Protection Act of 2017. The hearing turned into a contentious one, with one Democrat lambasting that Parker is ignorant.[10]
In 2018, she was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to the U.S. Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission[11]
In 2020, Star was appointed by President Donald Trump to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights California Advisory Committee.
She is the host of "CURE America with Star Parker," a weekly one hour news show airing on TCT TV, NRB TV, and several streaming platforms. She has interviewed many high profile guests in politics and policy, including Senator Tim Scott, economist Grover Norquist,[12] and then House Minority Whip Steve Scalise.[13]
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?".[14] She believes stable families and strong moral values are the key to ending poverty.[3] She has asserted a moral objection to abortion and claims that rampant abortion has hurt black families.[3] She opposes abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and using tax dollars to fund birth control.[3]
In March 2010, Parker announced her candidacy for Congress in California's 37th District, which encompasses most of Long Beach and Compton, as well as Carson, Signal Hill, and parts of other municipalities. She lost the November 2 general election to Democrat Laura Richardson, earning 22.7 percent of the vote.[15]