Fourteen-year-old Zaila Avant-garde has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the first African American to do so since the annual competition began in 1925.
She only began to spell competitively two years ago.
Zaila and Thummala, the last two left, traded words with neither dropping a vowel until two rounds later, when Thummala stumbled by using an "e" instead of an "o" in "neroli oil." This opened up the opportunity for Avant-garde to grab the win by correctly spelling "Murraya," defined as "a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers with imbricated petals."
Avant-garde literally jumped for joy as she was declared the champion and colourful confetti rained down upon her. The new champion is not only Scripps' first African American winner, but also the first winner from Louisiana.
#Blackgirlsrock #Blackgirls #AfricanAmerican
Source: https://mashable.com/article/s....cripps-spelling-bee-
