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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2017)
M artin L uther K ing J r . January 11, 2017 2017 special edition Margaret Jacobsen is the founder of a discussion and education group called Let’s Talk, which focuses on community building for racial justice. ‘Let’s Talk’ for Racial Progress Activist gathers voices to promote understanding c hriSTa M c i nTyre T he P orTland o bServer Portland author and photog- rapher Margaret Jacobsen is the founder of a discussion and edu- cation group that connects people and focuses on community build- ing to address racial justice issues. The group is called Let’s Talk. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once told a crowd of students at Cornell University, “I am con- vinced that men hate each other because they fear each other. They fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they don’t communicate with each oth- er, and they don’t communicate with each other because they are separated from each other.” Let’s Talk tackles the challeng- es Rev. King spoke to head on. It began in the summer of 2014 when Jacobsen invited people from across the city to Laurel- hurst Park to share their fears, an- by ger, and sadness, and pave a path forward after the police shooting death of Michael Brown in Fergu- son, Mo. A dozen or so meet ups later, Let’s Talk has grown to over 700 members in Portland and is ex- panding nationally. In January, 17 new chapters will open in Austin, Chicago, Cincinnati, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York city, Phoenix, Pitts- burgh, Reno, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francis- co, San Jose, Seattle and Calgary, Canada. Let’s Talk meetings are safe spaces where people can work together on deep-level under- standing. Through conversations, members learn from one another how to be supportive of people of color, of different genders and backgrounds, while facing un- comfortable truths and disman- c onTinued on P age 18 Page 7