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July 9, 2021

14-Year-Old Zaila Avant-garde Is the First African American Scripps Spelling Bee Champion
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Fourteen-year-old Zaila Avant-garde has become the first-ever African
American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Zaila Avant-garde: "Murraya, M-U-R-R-A-Y-A."

Spelling bee judge: "That is correct!"

The New Orleans teen is also a basketball prodigy and holds three
Guinness World Records in dribbling. Zaila Avant-garde entered the world
of competitive spelling just two years ago.


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