It's been 40 years since the University of Alabama has elected a Black president for its Student Government Association. Junior Elliot Spillers, who was elected this spring, faces continuing opposition from a white secret society at the school collectively known as “The Machine.”
Spillers,
who hails from Pelham, Ala., is only the second Black person to hold
the SGA president's position, the first being Cleo Thomas who was
elected in 1976. According to reports, Spillers reached out across
several fraternities and sororities on the campus to secure the vote.
Despite recorded accounts of sabotage to his campaign, Spillers won
8,602 of 14, 963 votes.
The
win hasn't come without its hardships as Spillers is not part of “The
Machine,” a grouping of white Greek letter organizations that have
influenced the political and social climate of the school, allegedly,
for decades. Spillers is the first non-Machine candidate to win in quite
some time, noteworthy considering the ongoing positioning the group is
undertaking to undermine the newly elected president's rule.
The
SGA Senate has blocked some of Spillers' appointments in key positions
for the 2015-16 school year, and even tried to appoint one of their own.
A local newspaper says the Senate is operating under the orders of The
Machine. Although Spillers voiced some frustration, he intends to battle
back against the Senate to get his agenda in diversifying the campus
and push for change within the SGA climate.
In
a recent newspaper interview, Thomas said that the political wrangling
at the school is just as serious as its sports programs. He also said
that the issues Spillers is facing from The Machine, which boasts
members in the faculty, is indicative of what happens on the state level
with the Alabama government.
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