Let's Talk: Confronting What Divides Us

Now on View

The National Liberty Museum proudly presents Let’s Talk: Confronting What Divides Us, the culminating exhibition of The Year of Free Speech. This immersive, participatory exhibition invites visitors to examine the forces shaping division in the United States, and to practice the skills needed for meaningful dialogue in a democratic society. Designed as a space for curiosity rather than confrontation, Let’s Talk challenges visitors to explore how we communicate across difference and how free speech depends not only on speaking out, but on listening with intention.

“We must begin to listen, to stop presuming, to try to understand, to treat each other with dignity… If we can pull together, we can have a much better America.”

Diane Hessan, author of Our Common Ground: Insights from Four Years of Listening to American Voters (2021)

Dialogue, Difference, and Democracy

At the heart of Let’s Talk is an interactive learning environment where visitors engage directly with ideas, perspectives, and one another. Through cutting-edge AI-powered experiences developed in collaboration with TimeLooper, guests are invited to practice discussing contemporary issues with people who hold different viewpoints.

These AI interactives simulate real-world conversations, encouraging empathy, reflection, and critical thinking—skills that are essential to healthy civic discourse in an increasingly polarized world.

Humor, Media, and the Myth of Division

Also featured in the exhibition is Jesters and Fools, a documentary short by filmmaker Rob Feld. Blending social science with sharp, good-natured humor, the film examines how media narratives amplify the perception that America is hopelessly divided.

Drawing on research by Duke University social scientist Chris Bail, and insights from acclaimed comedians, Jesters and Fools reveals how our understanding of national discourse has been distorted—and why the reality is more complex, nuanced, and hopeful than we are often led to believe.

Are We Truly a Divided Nation?

While nearly 80% of Americans say the country is deeply divided, Let’s Talk asks visitors to pause and reconsider that assumption. Through immersive installations, interactive debates, and shared storytelling, the exhibition explores not only what separates us, but also the values, motivations, and aspirations that unite us.

Rooted in the belief that free speech flourishes in a culture of both expression and active listening, Let’s Talk creates space for constructive conversations—looking beyond censorship, identity politics, and the influence of technology and social media.

This exhibition is an invitation—to listen, to speak, and to find common ground in a time when it matters more than ever.