Black American spelling bee champ makes history 

Zaila Avant-garde is the first black American champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the competition’s nearly 100-year history. Her accomplishment also marks the end of a winning streak for Indian American contestants. Host Marco Werman has a humorous take. 

Support independent news and 3x your impact!

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. If you’ve been thinking about making a donation, this is the best time to do it. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. All donations between now and June 30 will be matched 2:1. Will you help keep our newsroom on strong footing by giving to The World?