Zaila Avant-garde becomes first African American winner of National Spelling Bee
The 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, breezed to the championship at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night
Whether dribbling a basketball or identifying obscure Latin or Greek roots,
Zaila Avant-garde doesn’t show much stress. Now she has become the first African American winner in the 96-year history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The 14-year-old basketball prodigy from Harvey, Louisiana, breezed to the championship on Thursday night. The only previous Black winner was also the only champ from outside the United States:
Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica in 1998.
Teen breezes to National Spelling Bee win, becomes first African American champ Share Updated: 4:49 AM PDT Jul 9, 2021 By BEN NUCKOLS, Associated Press
Teen breezes to National Spelling Bee win, becomes first African American champ Share Updated: 4:49 AM PDT Jul 9, 2021
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Show Transcript TACKLE AT THIS SESSION WHICH COULD LAST UP TO ONE MONTH. AFTER A COVID-HIATUS IN 2020, THE BEE IS BK.AC WE ARE HOURS AWAY FROM THAT EXCITEMENT. CH:AD IT ALL HAPPENS TONIGHT. THE SCRIPTS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE ENTERING IS FINAL ROUND WITH 11 COMPETITORS. ONE OF TSEHO FINALISTS IS RIGHT FROM RIGHT HE.RE HER MISSION IS TO BRING HOME THE SPELLING BEEHA CMPIONSHIP. HI, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS ZAILA, AND THAT’S SPELLED Z-A-I-A.L- 14-YEAR-OLD ZAILA AVANT-GARDE IS NO STRANGER TO SPELLING BEE COMPETITIONS. I’M DEFINITELY HOPING TO AT LEAST GET SOME GOOD WORDS AND STUFF, SO THAT I CAN LAST A WFE ROUNDS AND GET TO ASKING QUESTIONFOS R MY WORDS AN
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, wins 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee title with correct spelling of Murraya Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
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As one of the top 8th grade basketball players in the United States, Zaila Avant-garde should be quite familiar with the concept of survive and advance.
Now, the 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, knows just what it s like to have her one shining moment.
Zaila prevailed in the final round over 12-year-old Chaitra Thummala of Frisco, Texas, by correctly spelling the word Murraya – a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers.
Zaila outlasted a field of 11 finalists to win the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee title and the first-place prize of $50,000 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. In the process, she became the first Louisiana resident and the first African-American to win the title in the competition s 93-year history.
Zaila Avant-garde makes history as first African American national spelling bee champion Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from Harvey, Louisiana reacts after correctly spelling a word during the finals of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee at Disney World Thursday, July 8, 2021, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press July 9, 2021 | 12:51 AM
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Zaila Avant-garde understood the significance of what she was doing as she stood on the Scripps National Spelling Bee stage, peppering pronouncer Jacques Bailly with questions about Greek and Latin roots.
Zaila knew she would be the first African American winner of the bee. She knew Black kids around the country were watching Thursday night’s ESPN2 telecast, waiting to be inspired and hoping to follow in the footsteps of someone who looked like them. She even thought of MacNolia Cox, who in 1936 became the first Black finalist at the bee and wasn’t
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