The Civic Engagement Lecture Series at Wichita State University will feature "An Evening with Star Parker" at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, in the CAC Theater. Parker will present "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: From Entitlement to Empowerment."

Admission is free. The event is sponsored by Johnny and Marjorie Stevens.

Civic engagement experiences are a means to facilitate and prepare students to be informed and engaged citizens of the democracy. The Center for Student Leadership presents an opportunity for students to engage in the democracy process through the Civic Engagement Lecture Series.

The teaching and learning event featuring Star Parker is co-sponsored by the WSU College Republicans, African American Student Association and the Young Democratic Socialists.

Parker is the founder and president of CURE, the Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education, a 501c3 nonprofit think tank that provides a national voice of reason on issues of race and poverty in the media, inner city neighborhoods and public policy.

Parker was a single mother on welfare in Los Angeles who launched an urban Christian magazine after receiving a bachelor's degree in marketing. Her activism for fighting poverty and championing welfare reform has led Parker to many appearances on national television, including "Larry King Live," 700 Club, and Fox News.

She has written several books, including "Uncle Sam's Plantation: How big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It," and "White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay."