Fayetteville, N.C. — The Fayetteville Woman's Club announced Monday that it had accepted the membership application of its first black member -- a woman who was rejected in January.

Cassandra McMillion, a former history teacher, had been voted down.

Several members resigned to protest the vote, and some donors threatened to withhold their financial support.

Mary Anne Peeples, the president of the Woman's Club, said at the time that the decision had nothing to do with McMillion's skin color.

"I really think that some of the members were voting against the way she was brought into the club because of this power struggle," Peeples said.

The power struggle was fueled by the woman who sponsored McMillion, club officials said.

Local women determined to protect Fayetteville's Market House formed the Woman's Club a century ago, but the civic group never had a black member.

Peeples said the Woman's Club does have minority members, including Hispanics and a woman from India.