Spain in the African American Imagination (African American Intellectu

Spain in the African American Imagination, Volume 1, is a scholarly work of history that examines how mid-20th century intellectuals reframed race and cultural belonging. Rebecca Pawel analyzes the perspectives of writers such as Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, and Arthur Schomburg to show how they interpreted Spanish national myths. The text explores the conceptual space created by the perception of Spain as a primitive or medieval location, which allowed these authors to challenge existing racial narratives.

This history volume focuses on the intersection of Spanish culture and African American modernism. By analyzing the Atlantic crossing, Pawel demonstrates how Spain served as a lens for reimagining modernity and the construction of race through historical narrative. The book details how intellectuals used the unique position of Spain, situated between Europe and Africa, to rewrite narratives of identity and global influence.