A “Jeopardy!” contestant got a social media schooling after making a pretty embarrassing Black history faux pas during the game show when she accidentally mistook Black music royalty for African royalty.
“Who is Chaka Khan?” was the answer that stay-at-home mother Sarah Jett Rayburn guessed during the April 27 episode of “Jeopardy!” and had the clue been something like “This 10 time Grammy Award-winning artist sang the hit anthem ‘I’m Every Woman’, and is known as the ‘Queen of Funk,'” she would have hit the nail on the head.
Instead, the correct answer was actually “Shaka Zulu” and the clue was a photo of Zulus celebrating, along with the verbal hint: “Here, as on each September 24, Zulus celebrate the holiday that was named in honor of this warrior leader of the early 1800s.”
Shaka Zulu — born Sigidi kaSenzangakhona — was the founder and leader of the Zulu Kingdom in the early 1800s. The warrior and chief reorganized the Zulu army, developed fighting strategies for them, and conquered more than 11,500 square miles during his lifetime. Zulu’s 10-year reign was cut short when he assassinated at about age 40 by a group of associates, including two of his half-brothers.
Chaka Khan, on the other hand, has won 10 Grammys and sold over 70 million records. She’s responsible for hits that include “Through the Wire,” “Tell Me Something Good,” and “Do You Love What You Feel.” Khan also is a jazz singer and was a vocalist in that genre on well-received albums such as “Echoes of an Era.”
The mistake was shared on social media and didn’t take long to go viral, resulting in some hilarious reactions.
“Seriously? How old Karen think @ChakaKhan is?,” one fan wondered.
“The category…. was Zulus,” another stated, confused about how Jett Rayburn even got the answer wrong.
At the end of the night, Jett Rayburn had the last laugh, taking home a total of $39,000 over her two days of wins.
