7days7nights.com Urban Blog

Courtesy of Straight from the A

Greg and Nene are looking quite cozy with each other for a couple about to get divorced….guess that’s just for the story line. Divorce seems to be the new PR move :/

RL looks absolutely positively Delish!

Derek J %^&#*!!!!!

Cole although a little stocky could still get it!

Nene’s new nose is not what’s up and why can’t she just wear darker hair? She would look so much better!

As per The YBF and http://msdramatv.com/2011/11/06/rumor-is-dirty-money-is-over-kalenna-harper-drops-out-wants-to-focus-on-solo-career/

The P. Diddy inspired group, Diddy-Dirty Money, has apparently hit a snag – as group member Kalenna Harper has apparently called it quits — so that she can focus  on launching her solo career.

The 29 year-old singer/songwriter that is 1/3 of the Diddy-Dirty Money group, Kalenna, is now looking to focus her energies on her career as a solo artist. Although the singer emerged on the scene as part of the Dirty Money squad, which won for Best Group at the 2011 BET Awards, Kalena says the group is no longer her concern:

“As of now, Kalenna is solely focusing on her solo career and that is all that concerns her at the moment,” her rep tells TheYBF.com. “Dirty Money is a hind thought and doesn’t seem to be in any future plans.”

Kalenna is now set to release “Got To Work,” her debut solo single and viral visual on 11/11/11. The songstress describes her music as “experimental harmonies over worldly tracks paired with lyrics from a diary tucked deeply into heart that has beat to and for so many.”

Um..Sounds…like a mouthful?

Of course I will stay on top of this as I am 1 of the few, The proud and the Brave Diddy Stans >.<  Seriously stay tuned because with every Bad Boy break up there is a scandalous and Juicy story behind it which I intend on sniffing out.

Stay Tuned.

Sensing that her days as a reality TV fraud might be drawing to an end, ‘Basketball Wives’ cast member, Evelyn Lozada, suckered Lil Wayne into signing her to a six-figure book and film deal.

Never mind that Lozada has no prior experience writing books or developing films (we’re talking about syrup-swigging Lil Wayne here).

According to Sports Super Groupie, Stiletto Jill,

First up for release, The Wives Association. This is the book Evelyn mentioned she was working on a few months ago. The plan is to release the book and then develop it for the “Big Screen”.

The book series to be co-authored by novelist and former Law & Order: Criminal Intent writer Courtney Parker. The books will be loosely based on Lozada’s life, using the alter ego Eve Inez-Landon to fictionalize the true stories she has learned from years of dating professional athletes. “The stories that you hear—what goes on in these relationships, and just being in that circle—I decided to let everyone experience a piece of it for themselves by writing this series of juicy novels,” Lozada said.

“By partnering with Baby and Cash Money Content, we have the potential to turn these ‘novels’ into a full-fledged brand,” Lozada explains. “Everything Baby and CMC touches turns to gold, and our brands together will be magical.”

SOURCE: http://sandrarose.com/

1.  Senior Counselor -CASACPhoenix House ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/JZw2t3J3

  2.  Campus 2 Career CoordinatorNBC Universal ( New York City, NY) –   http://t.co/hsAvuJ2p

    3.  Career CounselorPassaic County Career Center ( Paterson, NJ) –   http://t.co/S2dHBxKa 

  4.  Youth Care Worker I – BergenFather Flanagan’s Boys’ Home/Boys Town ( Queens, NY) –   http://t.co/ZP9GjZJT 

  5.  Youth Care Worker I – Richmond HillFather Flanagan’s Boys’ Home/Boys Town ( Queens, NY) –   http://t.co/RM3gspgJ 

  6.  Assistant Supervisor (Day Services Program in Marine Park, Brooklyn)YAI/NIPD Network ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/PR2Su7Tb

    7.  Media Librarian, truTVTime Warner Inc ( New York,null, NY) –   http://t.co/KVvdHlCO

    8.  Delivery Management AdvisorDell ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/XwQjw2Ps 

  9.  Media Librarian, truTVTurner Broadcasting ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/Pz8DvYIc

    10.  TutorSTAR & CRESCENT ACADEMY ( Garfield, NJ) –   http://t.co/LY0QfHCd 

  11.  Marketing and Business Assistant ~ InternationalRodale ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/AshoBoWX

  12.  Associate-IntermediateGoldman, Sachs & Co. ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/2cIqdbga

    13.  Dance InstructorLaw Offices of Jun Wang ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/Wb6NaWIq

    14.  Research Fellow 85New York Blood Center (  manhattan, NY) –   http://t.co/zX1iSYUv 

  15.  Wanted: College Algebra Tutor in or near New York, NY. $-$39 an hour.TutorSelect ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/0i7WM54K   

16.  Janitor Curr InstructorAHRC New York City ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/wzzgGxbE 

  17.  Wanted: CAD Tutor in or near New York, NY. $-$39 an hour.TutorSelect ( New York, NY) –   http://t.co/nA3lQFAq 

  18.  Receiver/StockerLowe’s ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/wz4Czbwp

  19.  Billing Team LeadDell ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/3rxzvWtB 

  20.  Teller I (P/T) – SWBklyn. 95th StreetCapital One Bank ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/kXSiv3dK 

  21.  Teller I (F/T) – NW Bklyn-Flatbush WestCapital One Bank ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/QZ4GKGk3

    22.  Customer Service/Order EntryMusicskins, LLC ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/ZA2DR3Js 

  23.  RTM ClerkLowe’s ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/MMbPxvd4

    24.  Customer Service ConsultantsMajor Energy ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/zYjJA7V2 

25.  Coord I Cust Rel Opt StoreCablevision ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/DA8tnlIb

  26.  Administrative Assistant – TemporaryWireless Generation ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/yyFYxzyD 
  27.  Supv – Regional Control CenterCablevision ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/AVTcbtxO

    28.  CLINICAL OFFICE ASSISTANTSUNY Downstate Medical Center ( Brooklyn, NY) –  http://138.5.41.200/VacPost/UUP.IDC?SeeLine=53669

  29.  Supervisor of Day Services Program (Marine Park, Brooklyn)YAI/NIPD Network ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/X3WjyEvN

    30.  Boroughs-Teller-Part-Time-30 Hours-Fulton Street-Brooklyn, NYBank of America Corp. ( Brooklyn, NY) –   http://t.co/NfbbJRRo 
 

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Macy’s is hiring for seasonal positions ALL LOCATIONS! click link 2 view

Macy’s Herald Square, New York, NY: Holiday Hiring Job Fair – Retail Sales Associate – Temporary(

Job Number: 

 71020044) 

Description 

Macy’s is now accepting and reviewing applications for an invitation to our Hiring Job Fair for Holiday Retail Sales Associate!  

Overview:

As a Holiday Retail Sales Associate, you will be an integral part of bringing the magic of Macy’s to life during the fast-paced holiday season.  Associates in this role perform a number of functions that are critical to offering our customers the best experience when they shop in our store.   While all holiday positions require working as part of a team to meet department and store objectives, your individual responsibilities will include keeping the selling floor stocked with merchandise and ensuring that fitting rooms are clear and merchandise returned to the selling floor in addition to demonstrating outstanding selling and customer service skills. 

In order to present our customers with the best holiday shopping experience, many of our Holiday Retail Sales Associates arrive prior to store opening and remain after closing to ensure we are ready to make Macy’s magic.  Holiday associates will have the opportunity to work a flexible schedule on a temporary basis, which may include early mornings, evenings, weekends and busy events such as the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas.  And don’t forget – just in time for holiday shopping, you will receive an employee discount of up to 20% starting your first day!

Key Accountabilities:

• Meeting and making a connection with customers, asking questions and listening to shoppers’ needs, then giving options and advice on meeting those needs
• Inspiring the customer to buy, celebrating the purchase, and creating a lasting positive impression of you, Macy’s, and the purchase
• Ensuring that fitting rooms are ready for customers by promptly clearing our merchandise and returning it to the proper area of the selling floor
• Maintaining selling floor presentations, and restocking them as needed
• Learning Macy’s systems and procedures to enhance selling efficiencies and complete support duties

Skills Summary:

• Ability to work a flexible retail schedule including the day after Thanksgiving, special Big Event days, and the day after Christmas
• Available to work a variety of hours, which may include early mornings, evenings, or weekends
• Enthusiastic, friendly, and energetic with a genuine desire to provide outstanding service
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to multi-task, while being attentive to customers and remaining flexible to the needs of the business
• Ability to work as part of a team, and take initiative independent of direct supervision
• Previous retail experience preferred, but not required

Macy’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Macy’s Flushing, Flushing, NY: Holiday Hiring Job Fair – Retail Sales Associate – Temporary(

Job Number:

 71112085)

Description

Macy’s is now accepting and reviewing applications for an invitation to our Hiring Job Fair for Holiday Retail Sales Associate!  

Overview:

As a Holiday Retail Sales Associate, you will be an integral part of bringing the magic of Macy’s to life during the fast-paced holiday season.  Associates in this role perform a number of functions that are critical to offering our customers the best experience when they shop in our store.   While all holiday positions require working as part of a team to meet department and store objectives, your individual responsibilities will include keeping the selling floor stocked with merchandise and ensuring that fitting rooms are clear and merchandise returned to the selling floor in addition to demonstrating outstanding selling and customer service skills. 

In order to present our customers with the best holiday shopping experience, many of our Holiday Retail Sales Associates arrive prior to store opening and remain after closing to ensure we are ready to make Macy’s magic.  Holiday associates will have the opportunity to work a flexible schedule on a temporary basis, which may include early mornings, evenings, weekends and busy events such as the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas.  And don’t forget – just in time for holiday shopping, you will receive an employee discount of up to 20% starting your first day!

Key Accountabilities:

• Meeting and making a connection with customers, asking questions and listening to shoppers’ needs, then giving options and advice on meeting those needs
• Inspiring the customer to buy, celebrating the purchase, and creating a lasting positive impression of you, Macy’s, and the purchase
• Ensuring that fitting rooms are ready for customers by promptly clearing our merchandise and returning it to the proper area of the selling floor
• Maintaining selling floor presentations, and restocking them as needed
• Learning Macy’s systems and procedures to enhance selling efficiencies and complete support duties

Skills Summary:

• Ability to work a flexible retail schedule including the day after Thanksgiving, special Big Event days, and the day after Christmas
• Available to work a variety of hours, which may include early mornings, evenings, or weekends
• Enthusiastic, friendly, and energetic with a genuine desire to provide outstanding service
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to multi-task, while being attentive to customers and remaining flexible to the needs of the business
• Ability to work as part of a team, and take initiative independent of direct supervision
• Previous retail experience preferred, but not required

Macy’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Macy’s Cross County, Yonkers, NY: Holiday Hiring Job Fair – Retail Sales Associate – Temporary(

Job Number:

 71112340)

Description

Macy’s is now accepting and reviewing applications for an invitation to our Hiring Job Fair for Holiday Retail Sales Associate!  

Overview:

As a Holiday Retail Sales Associate, you will be an integral part of bringing the magic of Macy’s to life during the fast-paced holiday season.  Associates in this role perform a number of functions that are critical to offering our customers the best experience when they shop in our store.   While all holiday positions require working as part of a team to meet department and store objectives, your individual responsibilities will include keeping the selling floor stocked with merchandise and ensuring that fitting rooms are clear and merchandise returned to the selling floor in addition to demonstrating outstanding selling and customer service skills. 

In order to present our customers with the best holiday shopping experience, many of our Holiday Retail Sales Associates arrive prior to store opening and remain after closing to ensure we are ready to make Macy’s magic.  Holiday associates will have the opportunity to work a flexible schedule on a temporary basis, which may include early mornings, evenings, weekends and busy events such as the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas.  And don’t forget – just in time for holiday shopping, you will receive an employee discount of up to 20% starting your first day!

Key Accountabilities:

• Meeting and making a connection with customers, asking questions and listening to shoppers’ needs, then giving options and advice on meeting those needs
• Inspiring the customer to buy, celebrating the purchase, and creating a lasting positive impression of you, Macy’s, and the purchase
• Ensuring that fitting rooms are ready for customers by promptly clearing our merchandise and returning it to the proper area of the selling floor
• Maintaining selling floor presentations, and restocking them as needed
• Learning Macy’s systems and procedures to enhance selling efficiencies and complete support duties

Skills Summary:

• Ability to work a flexible retail schedule including the day after Thanksgiving, special Big Event days, and the day after Christmas
• Available to work a variety of hours, which may include early mornings, evenings, or weekends
• Enthusiastic, friendly, and energetic with a genuine desire to provide outstanding service
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to multi-task, while being attentive to customers and remaining flexible to the needs of the business
• Ability to work as part of a team, and take initiative independent of direct supervision
• Previous retail experience preferred, but not required

Macy’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Macy’s Parkchester, Bronx, NY: Holiday Hiring Job Fair – Retail Sales Associate – Temporary(

Job Number:

 71020502)

Description

Macy’s is now accepting and reviewing applications for an invitation to our Hiring Job Fair for Holiday Retail Sales Associate!  

Overview:

As a Holiday Retail Sales Associate, you will be an integral part of bringing the magic of Macy’s to life during the fast-paced holiday season.  Associates in this role perform a number of functions that are critical to offering our customers the best experience when they shop in our store.   While all holiday positions require working as part of a team to meet department and store objectives, your individual responsibilities will include keeping the selling floor stocked with merchandise and ensuring that fitting rooms are clear and merchandise returned to the selling floor in addition to demonstrating outstanding selling and customer service skills. 

In order to present our customers with the best holiday shopping experience, many of our Holiday Retail Sales Associates arrive prior to store opening and remain after closing to ensure we are ready to make Macy’s magic.  Holiday associates will have the opportunity to work a flexible schedule on a temporary basis, which may include early mornings, evenings, weekends and busy events such as the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas.  And don’t forget – just in time for holiday shopping, you will receive an employee discount of up to 20% starting your first day!

Key Accountabilities:

• Meeting and making a connection with customers, asking questions and listening to shoppers’ needs, then giving options and advice on meeting those needs
• Inspiring the customer to buy, celebrating the purchase, and creating a lasting positive impression of you, Macy’s, and the purchase
• Ensuring that fitting rooms are ready for customers by promptly clearing our merchandise and returning it to the proper area of the selling floor
• Maintaining selling floor presentations, and restocking them as needed
• Learning Macy’s systems and procedures to enhance selling efficiencies and complete support duties

Skills Summary:

• Ability to work a flexible retail schedule including the day after Thanksgiving, special Big Event days, and the day after Christmas
• Available to work a variety of hours, which may include early mornings, evenings, or weekends
• Enthusiastic, friendly, and energetic with a genuine desire to provide outstanding service
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to multi-task, while being attentive to customers and remaining flexible to the needs of the business
• Ability to work as part of a team, and take initiative independent of direct supervision
• Previous retail experience preferred, but not required

Macy’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Get Paid to Travel – Travel Websites that Pay for Articles

Want to get paid to travel? If you’re interested in sharing your travel experiences, there are several travel websites that accept pitches from freelance writers. Here are a few of them, and what they pay per word or post. If you know of any other great sites for freelancers — that either pay or publish for experience — please let us know in the comments as we’re planning to expand this list! Also: We plan to do a “How to Pitch” series with some of these websites, so stay tuned!

Travel Websites That Pay for Freelance Articles and Posts

Lost Girls World The Lost Girls – Lost Girls – Lost Girls World http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/ ($12 per Travel Guide or “Pitching 101″ article)

Jaunted; The Pop Culture Travel Guide || Jaunted http://www.jaunted.com/ ($15 posts video posts)

Hotel Chatter Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings || HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/($15 posts and video posts)

Oyster Locals www.locals.oyster.com http://blog.oyster.com/category/locals/ ($25 per post)

GoNomad; Alternative Travel, Around the World travel, Destination Guides, Travel Articles on GoNOMAD.com | GoNOMAD.com http://www.gonomad.com/

BoostnAll; BootsnAll Indie Travel : RTW Tickets, Travel Inspiration & Deals. Cheap tickets, hotels & hostels., $30 to $50

New York Times, “In Transit”; Travel News – In Transit Blog – NYTimes.com $50 per post

AOL Travel; Travel Guides and Information – AOL Travel ($250 – $400 for 750 words)

Transitions Abroad; Portal for Work Abroad, Study Abroad, Cultural Travel and Living Overseas, $50 to $150 per piece

Slate; slate.com; $.50 per word

Trip.com; www.trip.com; $.75 per word

Budget Travel; Budget Travel | Travel Deals, Travel Tips, Vacation Ideas $.50 to $1 per word

Fashionable Bride; www.fashionablebride.com; $1 per word

MSN; www.msn.com; $1 per word

Travel and Leisure; www.travelandleisure.com; $1,000 per article

AARP; www.aarp.com; $1.70 per word

Galavanting; www.gogalavanting.com; $15 for all published pieces except features, which net $50

Unanchor: www.unanchor.com; $100 per self-guided tour itinerary

Locationless Living www.locationlessliving.com; $10 per 250 word article

Travel sites that accept submissions for experience, rather than a payment

Nat Geo Intelligent Travel http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/intelligenttravel/

Pink Pangea Pink Pangea | the community for women travelers

Huffington Post Travel; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/travel/

Source:
Get Paid to Travel the World – Travel Writing Tips | The Lost Girls http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/2011/01/travel-freelancing/

1. What are Resume Keywords and Why Are They Important? : http://t.co/xHHModYg”

2. How to find out how the job market is (really) doing http://t.co/rN1NT4la”
…
3. How do I get noticed by a Hiring Manager? (Part 2) http://t.co/4seb0JL3”

4. What every jobseeker should do right now: http://t.co/vTHdkCYi”

5. How do I get noticed by a Hiring Manager? (Part 1) http://t.co/o5ztsC5C”

6. Top 10 Things You Need to Know About a Resume: http://t.co/zieVjMsf”

7. FTC Offers Tips on How to Avoid Job Scams: http://t.co/lc2lpoOR”

8. How to be more likeable: http://t.co/Jf3HANG4”

9. How Hiring Managers Make Hiring Decisions: http://t.co/K4MhhNH9

Green jobs – certificate programs – http://t.co/O2KmX5Pd via NYS Dept of Labor

LIKE” my EMPLOYMENT FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK: http://t.co/HKPusrO9

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1. CleanerMarriott ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/TrPvHZQ2

2. HousekeeperPVH Corp. ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/MtGSOUlX
…
3. Storage Facility HousekeeperU-Haul ( Bronx, NY) – http://t.co/44IV6c81

4. HousekeeperMarriott ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/okXvr5vp

5. Cleaner – New York Marriott Marquis (761484)Jordan Freedman ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/PcUEhYTR

6. Youth Care Worker I – BergenFather Flanagan’s Boys’ Home/Boys Town ( Queens, NY) – http://t.co/ZP9GjZJT

7. Youth Care Worker I – Richmond HillFather Flanagan’s Boys’ Home/Boys Town ( Queens, NY) – http://t.co/RM3gspgJ

8. Service Social Worker (Bilingual Cantonese or Mandarin)Educational Alliance, Inc. ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/zlRDyBzB

9. Rehab Technician (P05188)FEGS ( Bronx, NY) – http://t.co/1iVKx9T3

10. Teaching FellowCitizen Schools ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/5vAPd2bZ

11. Maintenance MechanicWorkforce1 Transportation Career Center ( Brooklyn, NY) – http://t.co/PhIct3xy

12. Sr. Personal Banking Representative – BrooklynSovereign Bank ( Brooklyn, NY) – http://t.co/av5OYoeo

13. Customer Service Specialist IOffice Depot ( North Brunswick, NJ) – http://t.co/8uMNsIQ4

14. Customer Service Associate IILowe’s ( Rosedale, NY) – http://t.co/B8lazhyG

15. Full Time (FT) Teller – ManhattanSovereign Bank ( Manhattan, NY) – http://t.co/ko9THno2

16. Part Time (PT) Float Teller – BrooklynSovereign Bank ( Brooklyn, NY) – http://t.co/c49NfppE

17. Front Office AgentHyatt ( Morristown, NJ) – http://t.co/Wv8yEyzQ

18. Branch Customer Service RepHSBC ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/hxyyLi61

19. Travel Consultant Corporate SeniorBCD Travel ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/JQqQD2×4

20. Customer Serv Assoc I/LoaderLowe’s ( Garden City, NY) – http://t.co/4tmmqPAg

21. Branch Customer Service RepHSBC ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/hxyyLi61

22. Administrative Assistant, Special EventsNestle ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/LEY7MFOb

23. Customer Service Associate IILowe’s ( Rosedale, NY) – http://t.co/B8lazhyG

24. Executive Administrative AssistantAmerican Express ( New York, NY) – http://t.co/VEJeKMMh

25. Front Office AgentHyatt ( Morristown, NJ) – http://t.co/Wv8yEyzQ

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1. Deadly Resume Mistakes To Avoid http://t.co/QltGgVSD”

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4. Did My Resume End up in the Black Hole? http://t.co/b1D4npvd”

5. 7 Secrets to Get a Job Using Social Media – do you know them? http://t.co/SJrWXWva”

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One day after hundreds of thousands of people around the world demonstrated against inequality and the domination of society by the banks, President Barack Obama invoked the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. to preach the “common humanity” of the oppressor and the oppressed.

Speaking at the official dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on Washington’s National Mall, Obama, clearly though only indirectly alluding to the growing protests, said of King: “It was that insistence, that belief that God resides in each of us, from the high to the low, in the oppressor and the oppressed, that convinced him that people and systems could change. It fortified his believe in non-violence. It permitted him to place his faith in a government that had fallen short of its ideals.”

To reinforce the point, Obama suggested that King’s legacy was the recognition that “any social movement,” to “bring about true and lasting change,” had to embrace “the possibility of reconciliation.”

The president continued: “If he were alive today, I believe he would remind us that the unemployed worker can rightly challenge the excesses of Wall Street without demonizing all who work there…”

This crude attempt to use the figure of King to promote a spirit of submission and illusions in the possibility of reforming the existing system speaks to the fear within the American ruling class that the anti-Wall Street protests express the growth of anti-capitalist and potentially revolutionary sentiment. Particularly disturbing and dangerous, from the standpoint of Obama and the class of oppressors he represents, is the fact that issues of inequality and social class have dominated the demonstrations, not the various forms of identity and life-style politics based on race, gender and sexual orientation that have been used for decades to block the emergence of an independent political movement of the working class.

The greatest fear of Obama and the US ruling elite is that the Occupy Wall Street movement portends the emergence of a far greater movement of the working class outside of the two-party system and all of its pro-capitalist agencies, such as the trade unions. They fear the reemergence of working-class struggle after decades in which it has been suppressed. This fear is entirely justified.

Hence Obama’s pretense of sympathy for the protests and his turn to pseudo-populist demagogy in recent weeks—always combined in one way or another with affirmations of support for the capitalist system.

In his speech at the King dedication, Obama made passing references to the economic crisis, unemployment and the growth of poverty today. He praised the courage of the civil rights militants who braved police batons, racist violence and prison during the anti-segregation struggles in the US South. He made no mention, however, of the hundreds of arrests of peaceful protesters carried out the day before by police across the country.

For Obama to posture as a partisan of the poor and oppressed is the height of hypocrisy. He has slavishly pursued the policies demanded by Wall Street since taking office, resulting in a more rapid decline in working-class incomes and a faster growth of poverty than under Bush, combined with bigger-than-ever profits and pay for the corporations.

There is something particularly obscene about Obama cloaking himself in the mantle of King, who, for all his political limitations, led a courageous mass struggle to achieve elementary democratic rights for African-Americans against the system of Jim Crow apartheid in the South. Barely two weeks before his King speech, Obama became the first US president to order the assassination of an American citizen—Anwar al-Awlaki—and publicly boast of its having been carried out.

Obama seizes precisely on King’s political weaknesses—his pacifism and rejection of socialist revolution—to try to prevent the emergence of a mass movement for equality and socialism today.

King courageously denounced the Vietnam War in 1967, breaking with the Democratic administration of Lyndon Johnson. He insisted that genuine freedom could not be achieved for blacks or anyone else in America so long as the United States was allowed to commit war crimes against people of other countries.

In his final years, he increasingly saw the fight for racial justice as part of a broader struggle for economic security and equality. His call for a “Poor People’s Campaign,” together with his opposition to the Vietnam War, made him a marked man, especially when he went to Memphis to support a bitter strike by sanitation workers. The FBI’s relentless campaign of spying and harassment of King ended only with his assassination in Memphis in April of 1968.

The hypocrisy of Obama—who has continued and expanded the wars of Bush and is threatening new wars against Iran and other countries—claiming the legacy of King is brazen.

By the time of King’s death, the limitations of his reformist perspective had already brought the civil rights movement to a crisis point. It must be added that the domination of the labor movement by a right-wing, pro-capitalist bureaucracy was a crucial factor in the movement of millions of African-American workers for democratic rights falling under the leadership of middle-class figures and preachers such as King.

Instead of the end of Jim Crow apartheid in the South becoming the starting point for a struggle against the capitalist system as a whole, it became the occasion for a sordid deal between the American ruling class and a privileged layer of the black upper middle class. President Nixon expanded the use of affirmative action policies to cultivate a small layer in the black population who were allowed to enter the political and economic establishment.

Meanwhile, the mass of African-American workers and the working class as a whole suffered a steady decline in living standards, which has been vastly accelerated since the Wall Street crash of 2008.

Obama is the apotheosis of this process: a right-wing, militarist, pro-Wall Street African-American president. His elevation—like that of figures such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice under Bush—is not some consummation of the struggle of black people for civil rights, but rather the result of an attempt by corporate interests within the Democratic Party to use Obama’s skin color to obscure their reactionary policies.

Obama, in fact, did not come out of the civil rights movement, or any tradition of social struggle. Educated for the most part in private schools and given entry into Columbia University and Harvard Law School, he was groomed from an early age by wealthy interests in Chicago to serve American imperialism and US big business, which he was done unswervingly, becoming a multimillionaire in the process.

Now he dispenses doses of religion and cheap moralizing to oppose the development of socialist consciousness in the emerging movement of the American and international working class. He preaches reconciliation and harmony while pursuing a ruthless policy of class war at home and abroad.
Leon Trotsky, in his brilliant essay Their Morals and Ours, published in 1938, opposed all such attempts to politically disarm the working class and prevent it from ruthlessly and consciously prosecuting the class struggle in defense of its interests. As he wrote: “A slave owner who through cunning and violence shackles a slave in chains, and a slave who through cunning or violence breaks the chains—let not the contemptible eunuchs tell us that they are equals before a court of morality!”
This author also recommends:
“Forty years on, some lessons from the life—and death—of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
[7 April 2008]
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/apr2008/king-a07.shtml