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Making History, An African-American Wins the National Spelling Bee

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A 14 year-old old from New Orleans, Louisiana, has won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Zaila Avant-garde became the first African-American to win the contest in 93 editions of the event. The only other Black champion, in 1998, was from Jamaica.

Avant-garde will be given a $50,000 cash reward for winning the championship by spelling the word ‘murraya’ correctly. It is a type of tree.

Also, she holds a title in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most bounce juggles in one minute. She began dribbling at 5 and desires to become a part of the WNBA.

The National Spelling Bee contest began with 209 spellers from 5 countries. The championship started with 11 contestants. They ranged in age from 9 to 15 years-old.

Dr. Jill Biden was in attendance to show her support. Last year, the spelling bee was canceled due to the pandemic which had never happened since World War II.



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