Tom Morello Makes Surprise 'Jeopardy' Appearance With His Mom

Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and his mother, Mary, recently appeared in a question on Jeopardy!. The game show is hosted by Ken Jennings, who is the highest-earning competition, garnering over $4 million on Jeopardy! alone.

Morello took to X, formerly Twitter, to acknowledge the question and gush about the question.

He wrote, "For many years, I've watched Jeopardy! with my mom (and still do) so this right here is an excellent moment."

 The question concerning the mother and son duo reads as follows: "Tom Morello's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech on his band's behalf thanked Tom's mom, a centenarian teacher and activist."

The answer: Who is Mary Morello?

Rage Against the Machine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2023. Ice T presented the group with the honor, but most of the members were not in attendance. Morello delivered a speech on behalf of the band, in which he thanked his mother for her teaching hin to "stand up and speak truth to power.

He continued, saying that "History, like music, is not something that happens. It's something you make."

Mary Morello has been an activist for over 60 years. In the 1960s she was a member of the civil rights movement and NAACP. While living in New York, she gave birth to Tom. She has also been a longtime supporter of the Chicago Urban League, which advocates the need for employment, entrepreneurship, affordable housing and quality education

In 1987, Morello founded her own anti-censorship campaign: Parents for Rock and Rap. The group focuses on maintaining free speech in popular music. Rock n' roll and rap artists in particular have come under fire for their lyrics. Lyrics from the two genres have historically been used against musicians in court.

Morello won the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award in Arts and Entertainment for her work with Parents for Rock and Rap in 1996. She has always volunteered with the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center and the Cuba Coalition, which aims to lift the U.S. embargo against Cuba. She also spoke out against the incarceration of a death row innate, Mumia Abu-Jamal who was convicted of shooting a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.

She wrote in an editorial for the November 1999 issue of The Microphone: The Mass Mic Newsletter, opining:

"When a cop is shot someone must be found guilty. As my son Tom says, '...all rational thinking goes out the window'. A cop being killed is no different than any other person being killed. They choose their profession." She continued, saying that "The death penalty in the United States is arbitrary, racist, is cruel and unusual punishment, and should not exist."

The Morello duo's appearance on Jeopardy! as a question sparked excitement not just for the family, but for fans of Rage Against the Machine.

One user commented on Tom Morello's Instagram post of the question with words of congratulations for his mother: "Being a Jeopardy clue is a different level of making it. Get it, Mom!"

Another fan echoed this excitement for Mary's appearance, writing "We all want to be Mary Morello when we grow up!"