Louisiana teen the first African-American winner of US spelling bee
Washington (AFP) - A teenager from Louisiana has become the first African-American winner of the national spelling contest, correctly spelling the word "murraya" -- a kind of tropical tree -- for the victory. Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from Harvey, a town near New Orleans, was crowned the champion of the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday evening. Avant-garde, who earned a cash prize of $50,000 for winning the annual competition, said she hoped her victory would inspire other young African-Americans. "I'm hoping that in a few years I'll see a whole lot more Africa...