U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has sparked widespread controversy after asserting during a recent podcast interview that Black Americans fundamentally created democracy in the United States, stating it was only “truly” realized in the civil rights movement of the late 20th century.

In an exchange with comedian Ilana Glazer, Ocasio-Cortez declared: “I think about the Civil Rights and voting rights movement, and how black Americans really created democracy in this country.” When Glazer interjected, “That’s right, that’s exactly right,” Ocasio-Cortez elaborated on the historical narrative, suggesting America lacked democratic foundations until 1963 or 1965. She added: “We were apartheid before then” and emphasized Black Americans’ role in building democracy from “nothing.”

The remarks drew immediate criticism online, with many questioning her claim that U.S. democracy was not established until the civil rights era. Ocasio-Cortez further stated that voting rights and civil rights movements marked the point at which America achieved true democracy, contrasting it with what she described as systemic oppression against Black people and immigrants of color.