Remembering the 1936 National Spelling Bee and how hatred eliminated a bright young girl from Akron

[douglas9]

AKRON, Ohio — Last week, 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde became the first African-American winner of the National Spelling Bee, taking home the trophy after correctly spelling the word "murraya." The moment was exciting and groundbreaking, but also stirred up the history behind the journey leading up to the moment that should always be remembered, especially here in Northeast Ohio.

Back in 1936, just 11 years after the National Spelling Bee was inaugurated, 13-year-old MacNolia Cox from Akron was a spelling prodigy with an IQ through the roof.

Cox had qualified for the National Spelling Bee held in Washington, D.C., but her journey to get there wasn't easy, nor was her time competing in the Bee.

With segregation and Jim Crow laws still very much in full swing, Cox and another Black child, 15-year-old Elizabeth Kenny from New Jersey, were forced to travel to the National Spelling Bee in the "colored" car of the train, were unable to stay at the hotel with the other contestants, had to use the back door of the arena to get into the Bee and were forced to sit at a card table once inside.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/remembering-the-1936-national-spelling-bee-and-how-hatred-eliminated-a-bright-young-girl-from-akron

[marble falls]

1. Akron, I love it, but I do know it's trouble past ...

https://www.richardalanhannon.com/women-ku-klux-klan-akron-ohio/

[colsohlibgal]

2. So Disgusting

Hatred of the “Other “ is something that has always mystified me. And my Parents and Grandparents were all from Gallia County, Ohio, down by the Ohio River....not a liberal area so much.

But my Parents were Democrats, my Dad maybe more of a middle ground one, my Mom hard to tell, a good Mother for the most part but kind of weird.

But both my Sister, my only Sibling, and I have always leaned progressive

[llashram]

3. geez

I could say more. But recently racism 2.0 showed how deeply the hate is in certain groups within our culture. Young MacNolia Cox was and is courageous in my book.