ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the controversy surrounding several autobiographical accounts by Salaria Kea, the only black nurse to have served with the American Medical Bureau during the Spanish Civil War: among them, the alleged inconsistencies, and, therefore, their validity as historical documents. Cañete Quesada interprets these questionable aspects of the accounts in light of some of the characteristics of testimonial narratives, particularly those of individuals belonging to marginalized groups. The “truth” of Kea’s memories, the critic argues, might conceivably fuse personal and collective recollections, and be nurtured by elements of propaganda from communist and humanitarian groups, and by the nurse’s own growing iconic stature in the African American press and community. Furthermore, she advocates for a comprehensive study of African American brigadiers’ testimonials in order to present a more complete portrait of the Lincoln Brigade, especially in relation to its racial composition. Cañete Quesada contends that, without denying the Lincolns’ altruism, the problems that very likely affected the first integrated unit in the context of a segregated US society should not be ignored.
