LeVar Burton Will Host The 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee

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Spelling is a crucial part of every child’s life. Every language is as deep and complex as the next one. Different dialects create words that are being made up all the time. Famed dictionary resource, Merriam-Webster is constantly updated their logs. For instance in October the reference book company added words like “dad-bod” and “amirite”. Merriam-Webster has been around since 1831.  The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been a thing since 1925. It takes a while for people used to languages and comprehension of them as they evolve.

I don’t know about you, but I have always known a person to help us kids learn along the way.

LeVar Burton has been an advocate for literacy and unofficial favorite teacher for tons of people. Reading Rainbow is one of the longest running children’s television shows in history. It has won more than 25 awards, including 17 Daytime Emmys and the George Foster Peabody Award. Ever since LeVar Burton took the role as host of the educational children’s program in 1983, he hasn’t stopped providing some kind of substance to nurturing the future.

In the past couple of years, LeVar Burton has been booked and busy. He has taken part in joining the board of directors for AIDS Research Alliance. He is currently Grammy nominated in the Best Spoken Word Album for his involvement, in his own book, Aftermath. He has just been announced as the Grand Marshall for the Rose Parade. He is also in the director’s seat for the upcoming docu-series, Two-Front War, detailing Black soldiers during the Vietnam War.

All of this educational supplementation landed him the gig as the host of Trivial Pursuit, even after the Jeopardy! scandals ravaged his opportunity as the game show host.

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Booked and busy.

The executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Dr. J Michael Durnil, had only kind words and excitement to bring LeVar Burton to the event.

The selection of Mr. Burton as host aligns with the mission of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

To have such a prominent advocate for children’s literacy involved in this special and unique competition is a perfect match. We have the same goals: to educate tomorrow’s leaders and build reading competency in all young people.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee recently declined their TV deal with ESPN to show the competition on their co-owned networks Bounce TV and Ion Television. Scripps believes the move give them a chance to broadcast the competition to the widest audience they have had in 100 years. The last winner to be showcased on ESPN was the first African-American winner and absolute baller, Zaila Avant-garde.

Guinness World Records – Zaila Avant-garde

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LeVar spoke to The Associated Press ahead of his announcement. He had more words to back up his passion towards education.

I want to normalize the pursuit of knowledge in this culture. That wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it?

Not just making stuff up and calling it a fact. Achievement through knowledge., scholarship, putting in the work to gain the reward.

It is unknown if LeVar Burton will be the permanent host of the spelling bee contest for years to come, but we all know that passion for knowledge will always shine through.

For more N-E-W-S, go to classixphilly.com.