Black Girl Magic is reigning supreme in 2016 and it’s not just in fashion or entertainment.
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Congratulations are in order for the members of the University Prep Science & Math High School girls chess team, who recently took home a first place win at the Kasparov Chess Foundation All-Girls National Chess Championship in Chicago. The Detroit News reports that the team, made up of all African-American teens, beat out dozens of other teams and were among over 440 players who participated in this years’ competition.
Head coach Kevin Fite revealed that this win was particularly special for the girls, as they went into the competition as “underdogs.” “We’ve won a lot of other national tournaments, but we’ve never won this one.…We were considerably the underdog in that section.”
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Assistant coach Kwabena Shabu says after undergoing extensive tutoring and months of hard work, the win was about more than just the game of chess for the girls. “We always tell them, every place they go, they represent Detroit. It’s a wonderful showing,” he said following the girls’ impressive victory. Chess team member and University Prep eighth-grader Lauren Bradford agreed, adding that learning the art of chess has also helped her improve academically. “I have an A in math. It helps with calculation and patience,” she told the news site.
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The University Prep Science & Math High School is a K-12 school that offers a math, science and technology based curriculum designed to prepare students for the world around them.
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