Charlotte NAACP president encourages people to visit museums after Trump’s comments on ‘woke’ history exhibits

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — President Trump is pushing the Justice Department to review American history exhibits at the nation’s museums, similar to how he’s taken on so-called “woke” college and universities.

On his “Truth Social” platform, he accuses the Smithsonian Institution of focusing on how “horrible” the country is, and “how bad slavery was.” The president believes museums do not focus on success or the future, saying “woke is broke.”

“We want the museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner,” he said. 

Charlotte NAACP President and Minister Corine Mack says she isn’t shocked by the comments.

“What saddens me is here we are in 2025, and the work that the NAACP has done for all 116 years is being rolled back — in fact, we are the ones who did the hard work to give everyone the right to live and have a good quality of life, and we’re still on the front lines doing that work,” she said. 

The President wants the DOJ review of museums ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But during his first term, President Trump made statements different from his recent comments.

“I’m deeply proud that we now have a museum that honors the millions of African American men and women who built our national heritage, especially when it comes to faith, culture, and the unbreakable American spirit. This shows a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred,” he said in 2017 during a tour of the facility. 

The Charlotte metro area has at least two African American museums and even enslaved burial grounds in York and Chester counties. Mack encourages neighbors to learn the nation’s history themselves.

“I’m hoping that what is happening in Washington, D.C. right now, what is coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, will awaken the sleeping giant that we will all realize our responsibility as a people to do what is necessary to ensure that we protect the children and children’s children coming behind us,” Mack said.