A partnership roughly a decade in the making is about to become official: Nashville and Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, are in the homestretch of formalizing a relationship as “sister cities.” Erbil would become Nashville’s tenth sister — a designation that involves travel, cultural and professional exchanges.
22 stories that brought us joy in 2022, from the WPLN newsroom
Not everything we cover is serious. Here are the stories that made us smile this year, and we hope they’ll give you joy, too.
Protests in Iran hit home for Nashville’s Iranian and Kurdish communities
In Nashville, the Iranian and Kurdish communities have held several demonstrations in solidarity with the protests in Iran in an effort to raise awareness of what’s going on. Many still have family in Iran and worry for their safety. In this episode, we’re joined by members of the local Iranian and Kurdish communities to hear about their concerns.
From Kurdistan to Nashville
In this episode, we’ll unpack how Nashville became a destination for Kurdish refugees starting in the late 1970s and then hear from local Kurds about their future hopes and ambitions for their community.
Nashville’s Kurdish community celebrates Newroz with thousands attending the first new year event since the pandemic began
As thousands of Kurds gathered to celebrate Newroz, marking the new year, on Sunday, Mayor John Cooper announced that he had signed a declaration making March Kurdish Heritage Month in Nashville.
First Kurdish American wins top prize at Tennessee Craft for textile work that captures the immigrant experience
This year, for the first time, the top prize at a biennial exhibit of Tennessee Craft has gone to an artist from the state’s Kurdish community.
A Community Loss Has Led Some Nashville Kurds To Sign Up For A COVID Vaccine
A prominent death softened many Kurds’ resistance to the idea of vaccination, but new questions have arisen.
Nashville Kurds Are United Against U.S. Troops Pulling Out Of Syria, Divided In Support Of Trump
A peace rally drew several hundred people to downtown Nashville on Friday in opposition to President Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria….
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