NEW YORK -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson is entering the fray over The Recording Academy's cuts to its Grammy categories: He's asking to meet with the president of the organization and has raised the possibility of protests with the awards a little less than two weeks away.

In a Friday letter to Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Grammys, Jackson said his Rainbow Push Coalition was alarmed that there were reductions at a time "when our country needs to celebrate all its cultural traditions."

The academy shrunk its categories from 109 to 78 last April. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday night, Jackson said he wanted "cooperation not confrontation," but raised the possibility of a protest of the Feb. 12 awards.

(Copyright (c) 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)