Laz Alonzo Questions Why The Civil Rights Movement is Missing From the U.S. Citizenship Test

Imagine moving to a country, passing its history test, and completely missing out on the very movement that legally guaranteed your freedom there. That is the reality actor Laz Alonso is tackling head-on in a passionate take that still has the internet talking

Alonso pulled up to Shawn Stockman’s On That Note podcast on June 10, where the duo talked about everything from the “Jump the Broom” star’s acting journey to securing bags in massive franchises like “Avatar” and “Fast & Furious.” But it was his raw take on the U.S. citizenship test that completely stole the show. Alonzo used the moment to point out what he says is a glaring, noticeably missing piece of American history.

In a clip, he described growing up in Washington, D.C., as the child of Afro-Cuban immigrant parents, and how proud he is of his Blackness. “Everything that raised me—outside of the four walls of my home—it was always Black culture,” he began, adding that he will “always represent that with the utmost respect, class and homage [in] any way that I can [to] honor the history that has given me an opportunity to shine.”

Related: Here’s What a Complete Return to Jim Crow Could Look Like

While he carries that pride into every room he enters, Alonso noted a crucial piece of historical context that he feels many modern immigrants have yet to fully realize.

“It’s not explained enough—to all immigrants—that no one would have rights in this country had it not been for African American’s sacrifices and struggle during the civil rights movement,” Alonso said. “Not one immigrant would have any rights to look forward to if Black people didn’t put their bodies and their lives on the line.” Alonso’s critique may sound bold, but it is backed up by undeniable legal history.

When Black activists marched, boycotted, and bled on the pavement of the Jim Crow South, they fundamentally rewrote American immigration law. Prior to the 1960s, America’s borders were governed by the Immigration Act of 1924—a race-based quota system that banned immigrants from Africa and the Middle East.

But as the Civil Rights Movement reached a boiling point, Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, dismantling the racist quota system and explicitly forbade discrimination in issuing immigrant visas based on race, nationality or place of birth.

Yet, despite Black history literally rewriting the rules of who gets to become an American, Alonso points out that this vital connection has been completely erased today.

“I’ve always wondered why in order to become a U.S. citizen, you have to take a citizenship class, and then pass a citizenship exam,” he added. “I can’t believe that part of that citizenship test does not include the Civil Rights Movement. Because every immigrant that steps foot in this country— no matter what country you’re from—should know that the reason why the opportunities that exist for me and my family in this country and why I left my country to come here, is because Black people bled for this and fought for this.”

He went on to reveal that he couldn’t vote in his country, but he does have that right in America. “Why? Black people,” he continued. For Alonso, this glaring omission in the citizenship curriculum could contribute to anti-Blackness often seen within some immigrant communities.

“Sometimes there’s a lot of clashes within cultures, and there’s tension, and a lot of negative stereotypes that are adopted by many immigrants that come to this country. [That] would be expelled right at the root if they knew that these opportunities exist because of the very people that you are being taught to look down on,” Alonso said. Stockman agreed, “Ignorance is what drives control.”

Folks on X added their two cents.

“For the same reason Trump is now trying to erase or hide the contributions of African Americans to this country. The white power structure has long tried to keep these accomplishments hidden,” one person said.

Another X user, who called himself “the child of West-African immigrants, but born & raised in America,” agreed. “ALL Blacks in America are indebted to the struggles of Black Americans.”

As it stands, the official U.S. civics test is just a 10-question oral exam pulled from a pool of 100 static facts. Applicants only need to answer six correctly to pass.