Zaila Avant-Garde: First African American to Win Scripps National Spelling Bee Competition
Zaila Avant-Garde, 14 years old, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship on Thursday, July 8, 2021. She was the first African American and the second Black to win the championship in the Scripps National Spelling Bee's 96-year history. The only previous Black winner was Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica.