At 14, she was the first Black American student to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. At 16, she has some words of wisdom for all of us.
With so many motivational speakers closer to my age, it might seem a little odd that I was in such a hurry to read what a 16-year-old had to say about life. But she and her book are full of wisdom.
Maybe you remember the twirl? I certainly do.
After winning the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, then-14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde put her hands on her head and spun around in a spontaneous display of unabashed joy as colorful confetti fell around her.
The moment seen around the world after Avant-garde correctly spelled murraya — a type of tree — to become the first Black American winner since the competition began in 1925 left an impression on me and many of the 230,000 people watching the spelling bee that year.
So when I learned recently that the girl from a Louisiana suburb who routinely makes history — she also holds two Guinness World Records for her basketball skills — was releasing It’s Not Bragging If It’s True: How to Be Awesome at Life — her second book — I put all my other must-reads on hold.
With so many motivational speakers and books closer to my, er, age demographic, it might seem a little odd that I was in such a hurry to read what a 16-year-old had to say about life.
But c’mon, someone with her kind of smarts and spunk — who was named “SportsKid of the Year” by Sports Illustrated Kids — is an inspiration, especially to young women of color, and most especially to Black girls, who are often at most risk in a society that erases their childhood and potential. A new report concluded that in Pennsylvania, Black girls’ educations are fundamentally inequitable.
One solution? Highlight the myriad of accomplishments made by teens like Avant-garde, who is keenly aware of the unfairness in the world around her, even as she takes it by storm. Avant-garde’s success has been celebrated by the likes of Barack and Michelle Obama, LeBron James, and Jill Biden.
“Can you tutor my kids?” basketball star Shaquille O’Neal once asked her after watching her exhibit her math prowess. Oh yeah, did I mention Avant-garde is also really good at numbers?
In her latest book, she writes about how reaching your goals takes a lot of hard work — and that includes those world records she holds for most bounce juggles in one minute with four basketballs and the most basketballs (six!) dribbled simultaneously by one person. (She also says sharing your accomplishments isn’t bragging, which I love because, listen up: Sharing our wins helps build a road for those behind us so that they can more easily travel toward even bigger wins.)
But Avant-garde also acknowledges the myth that success only requires hard work, and regularly exhibits a firm understanding of inequity and inequality — and has the courage to speak on it.
“Doing enough doesn’t always mean you’ll win,” she writes.
Avant-garde, the oldest of four children who is homeschooled by her father and whose mother works for the State Department as a passport specialist, has often spoken candidly about the obstacles to opportunity.
She’s shared a story about a fellow aspiring speller whose family couldn’t afford a pricey resource to help prepare for the competition.
“It’s like having a book but no pages,” she says.
And recently, during an interview on CBS This Morning, she spoke about resources being key to unlocking every person’s potential.
“Lower the price barriers … extinguish the price barriers and give more opportunities,” she told the reporters, who were clearly impressed with her analysis of the realities faced by many young people who look like her.
Just like the author, the book is charming and wise beyond its author’s years.
At 130 pages, it’s a quick read with nine life lessons (or reminders) that add up to a powerful message.
I won’t give all of her tips away (one of her lessons is “Have Someone’s Back,” and that includes supporting their projects). But another of my favorites is this: Be kind and compassionate to others but — and hear this part — also to ourselves. And that means not beating yourself up if you’re not exactly where you want to be.
“Sulk. Pout. Brood. … Shout out to the heavens. Whatever you want to call it, don’t worry if you need to take a little time to feel bad and lick your wounds,” writes Avant-garde. “Being human means things hurt us ... but it’s a temporary stop, not a place to live.”