Education
Zaila Avant-garde becomes first African American to win Scripps spelling bee
Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old from New Orleans, Louisiana, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, becoming the first African American contestant to win in 93 editions of the competition.
Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old from New Orleans, Louisiana, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, becoming the first African American contestant to win in 93 editions of the competition.
Zaila Avant-garde dominates at the spelling bee
She won by spelling the word “Murraya”.
The only previous Black champion was also the only international winner: Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica in 1998.
The bee, however, has still been a showcase for spellers of color over the past two decades, with kids of South Asian descent dominating the competition.
Zaila’s win breaks a streak of at least one Indian American champion every year since 2008.
She’s a history maker
Aside from being sharp in spelling, the teen holds prowess in basketball as well.
Zaila Avant-garde is a basketball prodigy who owns three Guinness world records for dribbling multiple basketballs simultaneously and hopes to one day play in the WNBA or even coach in the NBA.
Following her win, when asked what she attributes her early success in the competition to, Zaila responded, “Well, for one thing, I didn’t have any more time to succeed,” referring to the fact that it was her last year for eligibility. Turns out, not only is Zaila incredibly smart and talented, she’s also a bit of a comedian herself.
On how she felt about winning the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Zaila stated, “Really good. I mean, I was a bit surprised. I’ve been warned about the confetti.”
Congratulations Zalia Avant-garde
----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on X, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.
----------------------------------------------------------
Unheard Voices Magazine is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Discover more from Unheard Voices Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
New Jersey2 weeks ago
New Jersey mother says 2-year-old daughter was missing a braid when she picked her up from day care
-
Crime & Justice6 days ago
Two former Delaware firefighters charged with hate crimes after reportedly chasing Black co-worker with a noose
-
Crime & Justice4 weeks ago
Authorities release cause of death for Kei’Mani Latigue
-
Social Justice1 week ago
California man in jail awaiting trial files lawsuit claiming deputies left him paralyzed
-
Crime & Justice1 week ago
Walmart employee shoots multiple co-workers
-
Crime & Justice3 days ago
Florida mother seeks justice after Black 9-year-old daughter reportedly verbally attacked by man while selling candy
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks ago
Mother and teen daughter fatally shot inside their New Jersey home
-
Health & Wellness1 week ago
GoFundMe for Kyren Lacy raises nearly $30k to support his loved ones