An award-winning comedian, commentator and director who spent childhood summers in Alabama just won big on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and he’s sharing the wealth with schools in one lucky county.

W. Kamau Bell’s credits include the Emmy-winning CNN series “United Shades of America” the HBO Max documentary titled “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” books and comedy specials. On Wednesday evening, he struggled his way to a come-from-behind victory over entrepreneur David Friedberg and actor/comedian Robin Thede. In third place as the second round came to an end, he nailed an Olivia Rodrigo song title, and that gave him a shot at the last Daily Double. He went big with it, betting everything, and knowing that “Not Like Us” was the work of Kendrick Lamar put him in the lead. He dropped behind Thede during the third round, but he was the only one of the three to correctly answer a Final Jeopardy question based on the finale of the series “Newhart.”

Having beaten a field of 27 celebs, Bell bagged the $1 million top prize for his charity of choice. That was DonorsChoose, which provides an online wishlist for teachers. Educators in need of materials for their classrooms can post their wants, and prospective donors can browse the listed projects.

By Thursday morning, Bell had taken to social media to announce where some of the money was going. “I’m taking part of my winnings and donating it to all the Donors Choose projects in the Oakland public schools,” he said in an Instagram video. “… And also in Mobile, Alabama, where my dad lives and where I spent a lot of time when I was a kid.”

Related: W. Kamau Bell shares thoughts on Mobile, Mardi Gras

A representative from DonorsChoose said that in Mobile, Bell had funded 72 projects listed by 52 teachers at 22 schools. The tab came to about $53,000.

“Today was a good day,” Bell said in his Thursday video. “And it’s still the morning.”

Bell said on Instagram that “More announcements for our plans for the money to come in the coming days. Just consider me the People’s Secretary of Education!”

Bell spent childhood summers in Mobile with his father, Walter Bell, who later served as the state’s Commissioner of Insurance under Gov. Bob Riley. In a post-win interview, he told “Jeopardy!” interviewers that he remembered watching the show at his grandmother’s home in Mobile as a child. (Among his playmates in those days was a cousin, N.K. Jemisin, who also went on to national recognition as an author.)

Bell is now eligible to take part in the show’s “Tournament of Champions.”