This article first appeared in the Newsweek on 07/14/2015.
Owensboro, Kentucky, on the banks of the Ohio River, is a town best known for its barbecue, bourbon and bluegrass—not to mention native son Johnny Depp. Every year, the town hosts a variety of food and music festivals. But in May 2009, a different sort of attraction arrived in Owensboro: The Obama administration quietly brought in a group of Iranian musicians to learn about American folk music.
It was a small diplomatic gesture, but one the White House hoped would help ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran, two longtime foes. It wasn’t without risk. Hard-liners on both sides often view any dialogue with suspicion, and in the lead-up to the Iranians’ visit to the town’s International Bluegrass Music Museum, American security officials swore the staff to secrecy. If word leaked, some worried that protests might erupt in the U.S. or Iran.
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