Star\xa0Parker\xa0is\xa0one\xa0of\xa0the\xa0names\xa0on\xa0the\xa0short\xa0list\xa0mentioned\xa0when\xa0anyone\xa0speaks\xa0of\xa0national\xa0black\xa0conservative\xa0leaders.Star\xa0Parker\xa0is\xa0the\xa0founder\xa0and\xa0president\xa0of\xa0The\xa0Center\xa0for\xa0Urban\xa0Renewal\xa0and\xa0Education,\xa0a\xa0public\xa0policy\xa0think\xa0tank\xa0that\xa0promotes\xa0market-based\xa0solutions\xa0to\xa0fight\xa0poverty.Before\xa0involvement\xa0in\xa0social\xa0activism,\xa0Star\xa0had\xa0seven\xa0years\xa0of\xa0first-hand\xa0experience\xa0in\xa0the\xa0grip\xa0of\xa0welfare\xa0dependency.\xa0\xa0She\xa0regularly\xa0consults\xa0with\xa0both\xa0federal\xa0and\xa0state\xa0legislators\xa0on\xa0market-based\xa0strategies\xa0to\xa0fight\xa0poverty;\xa0she\xa0has\xa0spoken\xa0on\xa0more\xa0than\xa0190\xa0colleges\xa0and\xa0universities\xa0about\xa0anti-poverty\xa0initiatives;\xa0has\xa0authored\xa0several\xa0books.\n\nMany\xa0of\xa0national\xa0acclaim\xa0would\xa0agree\xa0that\xa0Star\xa0Parker\xa0has\xa0established\xa0herself\xa0as\xa0a\xa0thoughtful\xa0and\xa0energetic\xa0leader\xa0in\xa0Washington\xa0D.C\xa0and\xa0her\xa0UrbanCure\xa0advisory\xa0board\xa0includes\xa0folks\xa0of\xa0note\xa0such\xa0as\xa0Generals\xa0John\xa0Ashcroft\xa0and\xa0Ed\xa0Meese;\xa0Doctors\xa0Ben\xa0Carson,\xa0Robert\xa0P.\xa0George,\xa0George\xa0Gilder,\xa0Marvin\xa0Olasky\xa0and\xa0Walter\xa0E.\xa0Williams.