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
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