Repost from @nytimes β’ Zaila Avant-garde, 14, an eighth grader from near New Orleans, won the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the first Black American student to take the cup after 10 other finalists stumbled in the competitionβs final rounds. The winning word was βmurraya.β It was a remarkable achievement for a girl who began spelling competitively only two years ago. Not only did she dissect word after word on spellingβs biggest stage, but she had also already set three Guinness world records for dribbling, bouncing and juggling basketballs. All before the ninth grade. Zaila was also the first student from Louisiana to win the bee. The first Black winner was Jody-Anne Maxwell, a 12-year-old from Jamaica, who won the bee in 1998. Tap the link in our bio to read more about Zaila. Photo by Joe Skipper/Reuters - # #putsomerespectonit #sayhername # #thinkaboutit #thingsthatmakeyougohmmmm #blackexcellence #thefutureisblackyouth #blackchildrenachieve #reframeblackexistence #reclaiminblackexistence #reclaimblacknarratives #historytellsthetale #historicalfacts #blackfirsts #happyblackhistory #blackhistory365 #blackiswinning #blackissmart #blackisintelligent #thejuneteenthproject https://www.instagram.com/p/CRImeUEjYd_/?utm_medium=tumblr