Zaila Avant-garde – 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champ – stands where Black children were once kept out britannica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from britannica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Celebration held for Scripps Spelling Bee champion Zaila Avant-garde I watched her work for this I watched her do the 13,000 words a day, listen to her music in her own world and when it came through she worked for this. Author: Raeven Poole / Eyewitness News (WWL) Published: 9:40 PM CDT July 18, 2021 Updated: 10:53 PM CDT July 18, 2021
HARVEY, La. A parade and second-line were held in honor of National Spelling Bee Champion, Zaila Avant-garde on Sunday.
The 14-year-old Harvey native was crowned champion after she successfully spelled the word “murraya at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on July 8.
Zulu Tramps led the second line while supporters, family and friends lined up in their cars to hand her balloons, cards and handmade signs and to congratulate her on the achievement.
Beeline to diversity: Young speller blazes path
Shalini Shankar
Editor s note: When Zaila Avant-garde, 14, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on July 8, she became the first Black American to win in the competition s history. Shalini Shankar, a scholar of spelling bees, breaks down the importance of this historical moment.
Q: Why is it news that an African American won this championship?
A: It s significant because not so long ago, Black children would have faced a lot of obstacles just to compete in this spelling bee.
In fact, Black children were routinely sidelined from participating on the national stage until well after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Even after schools were ordered to racially integrate in the late 1950s, spelling bees were largely all-white affairs, thanks to regional organizers who routinely found ways to keep interested Black children from advancing in the contest.
Zaila Avant-garde - 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champ - stands where Black children were once kept out
Shalini Shankar, Northwestern University
FacebookTwitterEmail Shalini Shankar, Northwestern University
(THE CONVERSATION) When Zaila Avant-garde, 14, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on July 8, 2021, she became the first Black American to win in the competition’s history. Shalini Shankar, a scholar of spelling bees, breaks down the importance of this historical moment. Why is it news that an African American won this championship?
It’s significant because not so long ago, Black children would have faced a lot of obstacles just to compete in this spelling bee.
(THE CONVERSATION) When Zaila Avant-garde, 14, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on July 8, 2021, she became the first Black American to win in the competitionâs history. Shalini Shankar, a scholar of spelling bees, breaks down the importance of this historical moment.
Why is it news that an African American won this championship?
Itâs significant because not so long ago, Black children would have faced a lot of obstacles just to compete in this spelling bee.
Avant-gardeâs victory is also significant because, like with any sport, people love to celebrate new records. This one is especially welcome because with the exception of Jamaican Jody-Anne Maxwellâs win in 1998, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has never had a Black winner.