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Still of Angela Bassett, Lee Thompson Young, Keke Palmer and Sahara Garey in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Angela Bassett in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Keke Palmer and Sahara Garey in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Laurence Fishburne in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Tzi Ma and Sean Michael Afable in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Curtis Armstrong and Erica Hubbard in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Angela Bassett and Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Keke Palmer and J.R. Villarreal in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Angela Bassett and Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Doug Atchison and Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Still of Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong and Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee Brittany Curran at event of Akeelah and the Bee Brittany Curran at event of Akeelah and the Bee Akeelah and the Bee Akeelah and the Bee Akeelah and the Bee Akeelah and the Bee

23 photos

View the latest pictures, photos and images from Akeelah and the Bee - Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She's smart, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school's principal, Akeelah participates in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from an English professor named Dr. Larabee for the more prestigious regional bee. As the possibility of making it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee looms, Akeelah could provide her community with someone to rally around and be proud of -- but only if she can overcome her insecurities and her distracting home life. She also must get past Dr. Larabee's demons, and a field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers.