(CNN) On Thursday, Zaila Avant-garde became the first Black American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She was the first Black top-5 finalist at the National Spelling Bee that year, in which Elizabeth Kenny, another young Black student about whom little is known, also participated. Cox's journey to the national contest began at the Akron Armory, where the district spelling bee was held, on April 22, 1936. Pocketing the $25 prize, Cox became the first Black student to win the Akron spelling bee. Cox got to travel to Washington D.C. to compete in the National Spelling Bee.

Source: CNN July 10, 2021 09:56 UTC