Harvey s Zaila Avant-garde makes spelling bee history
Zaila is the first African American winner and only the second Black champion in the bee s nearly 100-year history. Author: Paul Murphy / Eyewitness News Published: 5:24 PM CDT July 9, 2021 Updated: 5:39 PM CDT July 9, 2021
NEW ORLEANS How do you spell Zaila Avante-Garde?
W-I-N-N-E-R!
Thursday night, the Harvey 14-year-old won the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Avant-garde correctly spelled the word “murraya for the win. Murraya is a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian tree.
She said winning the competition is a dream come true.
“I’ve been working towards that goal for like two years,” Avant-garde said. “To finally have it, it’s like the best possible outcome.”