Alumna Anchors News in L.A., Runs Lifestyle Media Brand

Lu Parker ’90 was a co-host for the CofC Day 2022 webcast. A longtime news anchor in Los Angeles, she also runs her own business, Be Kind & Co, a lifestyle media brand focused on creating story-driven content focused on kindness.

“Kindness is a strength,” says Parker, who resides in West Hollywood, California.

She grew up in tiny Estill, South Carolina, with her brother, BILL PARKER ’92. She earned her degree in English from the College of Charleston and was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She admits she became a bit of a “Dead Head” after graduating, catching Grateful Dead shows in the U.S. and Europe. Parker went on to earn an M.A. in education from The Citadel in 1992 and then taught high school in North Charleston for a couple of years. But her life took a completely different turn in 1994 when she won the Miss South Carolina USA pageant and then was crowned Miss USA. The notoriety led her into TV news, first in Charleston, then in San Antonio and finally in Los Angeles at KTLA, where she has worked for 17 years and won six Emmys.

“I’m very loyal,” she says with a smile. “I still have an AOL account.”