Zaila Avant Garde is the daughter of Alma Heard and Jawara Spacetime and is of African-American ethnicity. Her father chose her last name in honor of John Coltrane. She has mentioned Malala Yousafzai, Serena Williams, and Coco Gauff as inspirations
An award-winning speller, Avant Garde won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, making history as the first African-American to scoop the title. The speller was 14 years old at the time. She is also a basketball player and juggler. Her career life already appears glossy and Zaila has been able to achieve all these at such a young age. Thus, her parents’ role in her success story cannot to overlooked.
What Are Zaila Avant Garde Parents’ Names?
Zaila Avant-Garde’s parents’ names are Alma Heard and Jawara Spacetime. Zaila’s father, Jawara Spacetime, changed his name from Heard to Spacetime, but his wife still goes by the family name.
Jawara also changed Zaila’s last name to Avant Garde in honor of John Coltrane on account of his studio album, “The Avant-Garde.” The name Avant has French and Latin origins, meaning ‘before.’
There is no confirmed information about the ancestral origins of Zaila’s family. Aside from being part of the African-American community, their direct African roots are yet to be disclosed. As such, the origin of their names is not known to the public even though they sound African.
Who Is Zaila’s Father?
Zaila Avant Garde’s father is Jawara Spacetime. Jawara has been a huge contributor to the success his daughter enjoys in her career life at such a young age. He gave her the opportunity to thrive, and she made the most of it. Zaila began playing basketball at the age of 5, and it was her father who introduced her to the game. He is also a lover of the sport and helped his daughter learn the ropes quite early.
Another aspect of Zaila’s life her father touched is her spelling bee victory. Jawara Spacetime takes credit for getting his daughter into the spelling bee world. Zaila was naturally good at solving math problems as a little kid, something she was able to pull off in her head with the help of any device.
Thus, when her father saw the bee contest on TV, he was convinced that his daughter would make a great speller and he was absolutely right. Jawara Spacetime was right there in the crowd when his daughter won the National Spelling Bee.
Zaila’s father is the one taking her through homeschooling to help her focus on her basketball career. Being homeschooled by her father didn’t limit Zaila’s chances of excelling in her studies and other endeavors. In fact, she has always made her family proud in anything she ventures.
There is hardly any personal information available on the life and career of Zaila’s father. Apparently, his daughter is the reason he is in the spotlight. It is yet to be determined what career he is into but he loves basketball and was responsible for introducing Zaila to the game, initially to give her something to expel the excess energy she exhibited as a child. He is exceptionally proud of the person his daughter is gradually growing into.
Are Zaila Avant-Garde’s Parents Jamaican?
Zaila Avant Garde’s parents are not Jamaican but are definitely of African descent. They are from Harvey, Louisiana, where their children were all born. Thus, Zalia Avant Garde’s nationality is American.
The family recently moved from their home in Harvey, Louisiana, to Washington, D.C. The move came after Zaila’s victory at the spelling bee competition. One of the reasons the family relocated to Washington D.C. is to be closer to relatives, but the most important part is to help Zaila find a basketball team that would allow her to play competitively at her age. She is still being home-schooled by her father while trying to make headway in other pursuits.
While her father’s occupation is not known, her mother is said to be a passport specialist. Alma Heard works for the State Department. She is not as involved in Zaila’s endeavors as her father, but Alma has always talked about how proud she is of her daughter’s achievements.
Inside Zaila Avant Garde Family
Zaila Avant Garde comes from a family where she gets the best support for her dreams. She talked extensively about her family’s support during her appearance on TODAY after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
“My family thinks it’s like really cool and stuff, especially my father,” she said. “He’s like really happy because it was kind of his idea to put me in spelling, so he’s kind of like the main impetus behind it, but my whole family is like super excited.”
She comes from a family of six with three brothers. However, she is the only one in the spotlight for now. Going home with the 2021 spelling title is just one of the records she has in the history books. Avant Garde holds three records in the Guinness Book of World Records. She has the title of the most bounce juggles in one minute with four basketballs and the most basketball bounces in 30 seconds with four basketballs. Zaila also has ties of the record for most basketballs dribbled at once.
Aside from spelling words and dribbling basketballs, Zaila is thinking about a variety of options, including working at NASA as a genetic engineer and exploring her “side interest”: neuroscience. She also aspires to become a coach in the NBA someday after playing in the WNBA.
Table Showing Zaila Avant-Garde’s Parents, Siblings, and Other Family Members
| Name | Relationship to Zaila Avant-Garde | Nationality |
| Alma Heard | Mother | American |
| Jawara Spacetime | Father | American |
| Sol Heard | Sibling | American |
| Zwe Heard | Sibling | American |
| Wonder Heard | Sibling | American |
What to Know About Zaila Avant Garde’s Siblings
Zaila has three siblings – brothers named Sol Heard, Zwe Heard, and Wonder Heard. As the only daughter, Zaila gets much love from her folks.
Her siblings are not known publicly and only came to the spotlight briefly following Zaila’s record-breaking achievements. Aside from their names, there is nothing else known about Zalia’s siblings, including when they were born or who is younger or older. The name of the school they attend and what they have been up to are also not known. However, there is every possibility that they are all homeschooled by their father who seems to be doing a pretty good job with Zaila in that regard.