The Hero Lies In You!

When I was a child, I yearned to hear it said "Angela Sales, the first Black woman to?????" As a child, my heroes were Black people who were pronounced the “first Black” to do something. When I look back on my childhood, this yearning possessed me. Even as a toddler, I would cut the cushions in chairs and carve deep scratches in furniture just to see how they were made. I would toy around with science projects, dress making, and jewelry designs made from shelled nuts and wishbones. But as I headed out to college, I realized that none of those interests would make me the "first Black woman" to do something big.After moving to New York from Alabama, I hung-out with artists until I felt, by osmosis, I was one of them. I got their attention as a quick learner with design potential in stain glass and three dimensional mirror designs. I later dabbled in architecture and furniture design. With each learning experience, I would discover - "that ain't it." I turned to physical strength and power; thinking there was room for the "first Black in something" in an art medium that would feel more natural to me. I quickly learned, "that ain't it."
In 2008, I designed the Black History Flag, inspired by the conversations and heightened hopes and dreams expressed by most African Americans during the Obama campaign. Each time I look at the flag, I experience a feeling of pride, joy, nostalgia, and an urgency to share and encourage dialogue around first-hand civil rights experiences.  Hence, the “blog.” Through this venture, it became clear to me that I have always been the "first Black” to do something great.  I am the “first Black” and only child born in the world with the genetic make-up that I carry. I will always be the “first Black” and only human to do what I do, when I do it. I am the only person who will ever be me: henceforth and throughout eternity.
I now understand the essence of the song “Hero.” The hero lies in me. Thank you, Mariah.

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