A nationally dedicated calendar period for Arab American heritage was first recognized by a US President in 2021. President Joe Biden published an open letter to the Arab American community that recognized April as National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). Then, in 2023, he issued an official proclamation, which was observed by the Department of State, 48 state-level governments, and many more national civic organizations. This year, Bowman celebrates the contributions of one Arab American that lived an extraordinary life, reaching the highest levels of her profession, interacting with some of America’s most notable historical figures, and overcoming great odds to achieve success: Helen Thomas.
Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky to a large family of (modern day) Lebanese immigrants in the year 1920. Despite social harassment, as well as the death of her older brother in a tragic accident at a young age, Helen had developed into an educated and driven woman with large goals. She graduated from Wayne State University with an English degree, with her heart set on a career in journalism. She worked covering several different fields for a brief time, until she found her true calling. The escalation of American involvement in World War 2 after Pearl Harbor installed a burning interest in journalism for Helen, later remarking “I decided Washington was the only place I wanted to be.” She quickly landed a job with the United Press that allowed her to cover news from the US Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Ms. Thomas would not allow herself to be sidelined due to her ethnicity or gender. Notably, in 1959, she successfully fought the National Press Club into letting her attend an address by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Years later, she helped open membership to women at the National Press Club in 1971 and became its first female officer. Helen similarly achieved the same goal four years later at the Gridiron Club press organization, later becoming the president of the entire club. Helen was the first female member of the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Throughout this time and several decades thereafter, Helen was one of the most preeminent presidential reporters in American history. The cultural impact she made on the entire nation, and some of her reporting habits, are still observed today. She covered ten sitting US Presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama. Her coverage of presidential administrations was so extensive that she was the only print journalist to accompany Richard Nixon throughout his diplomatic tour of the People’s Republic of China in 1972. She provided exclusive reporting of the Watergate scandal, extensive coverage of Washington’s plans for the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and showed no hesitation to question the motives of presidents on live television. Her line of questioning was so unabashedly fierce, she was internationally known by journalists and political leaders. Even Fidel Castro remarked, when asked the difference between democracy in Cuba and democracy in the United States, “I don’t have to answer questions from Helen Thomas.”
Helen had a burning desire to be present among the shaping of history; not just as a spectator, but as an active participant in the democratic process. She asked “the big questions”, held officials accountable, and relentlessly pursued the truth. Helen Thomas embodied the gold standard of American journalists for many years, and in doing so, stifled the ignorant doubts of her authenticity as a true American. Helen Thomas passed away in 2013 at the age of 92.
Sources & Further Reading
- Arab American Institute: Homepage – https://www.aaiusa.org/arab-american-heritage-month
- Britannica: Helen Thomas – https://www.britannica.com/biography/Helen-Thomas
- History.com: Arab American Heritage Month – https://www.history.com/articles/arab-american-heritage-month
- Web.archive.org: Front Row at the White House – https://web.archive.org/web/20110714195608/http://www.northshire.com/siteinfo/bookinfo.php?isbn=9780684868097&item=0