The black aldermen say decisions on spending money favor whites because Mayor Porter sides with the white aldermen in his tie-breaking votes.

And a few white aldermen joined in "Lift Every Voice and Sing," a traditional black anthem.

The debate so far seems to have cleaved largely along racial lines, with white aldermen speaking out against the change, and blacks favoring it.

Since then, 16 white aldermen have withdrawn their support for the resolution.

"It's just a group of friends watching a football game," said a white aldermen.

"Gene's one of us," said one of the white aldermen, a member of the group known here as The Old Guard.

Because most of the support for Mr. Sawyer, a black man, came from white aldermen, his opponents accused him of "selling out" to white politicians.

The cadre forced the resignation of Republican officeholders, including the white mayor, and mostly white aldermen, and ran them out of town.

But Mr. Sawyer maintains that if he had not accepted the post, it would have gone to a white alderman.

"I think both sides felt it was important for both blacks and whites to be represented," said Jason Shelton, a newly elected white alderman.