Her most recent research was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant. The work focuses on a compelling and underexplored topic: literary representations of widowhood from the 19th to the 21st centuries. In analyzing how widows have been portrayed in 19th-century Spanish novels, Rosalía has uncovered themes related to the perception of widows’ sexuality. This project led her to study war widows, in particular the widows of the Spanish Civil War and the postwar dictatorship, in several literary works. She has shed light on the political dimensions of mourning and collective memory by contrasting the fascist regime’s treatment of widows based on their political affiliations. Widows of the victorious faction were honoured, but those on the other side experienced public humiliation and were denied the opportunity to grieve in public.
Rosalía’s commitment to uncovering overlooked narratives is an ever-present theme in her research. An earlier SSHRC grant allowed her to delve into the 1960s and 1970s Spanish press in order to bring to light the critical, yet often sidelined, contributions of women intellectuals to Spain’s transition to democracy. This research revealed a significant gap in the discourse surrounding public intellectuals in Spain and highlighted important women’s voices that had long been excluded from the mainstream narrative.
Parallel to her research about gender, Rosalía has been an active scholar in the field of race studies since 2008. That was when she published a collection of essays on colonial memory and immigration, with a focus on Black immigration during the early years of Spain’s democracy. This laid the foundation for her current exploration of Afro-Spanish identity, which, in line with the growing field of Afro-European studies, challenges the notion that Blackness in Spain is a recent phenomenon tied only to immigration. Instead, she presents Blackness as deeply rooted in European history. As part of this research stream, she has examined depictions of Black children in Spanish art. A recent example is her contribution to a collection of essays on the cultural legacies of slavery in modern Spain. In particular, she examined the case of a young enslaved girl in 18th-century Spain who appears in two paintings by Goya, as well as a poem and several novels and films. Rosalía analyzed how the various representations of this girl have been interpreted through a white saviour lens, with the Duchess of Alba, the famous aristocrat who “adopted” her, presented as a benevolent benefactor.
Since a transnational and intercultural perspective has always been central to Rosalía’s work, her research encompasses the relationship between Spain and African American communities, particularly in the 20th century. One of her most intriguing discoveries came through her examination of the Spanish fascist press, which extensively covered the American civil rights movement. The Spanish dictatorship, despite its authoritarian nature, paradoxically supported the struggle for African American rights and democratic freedoms. Rosalía plans to explore the cultural impact of African American civil rights icons in Spain, especially in light of the 60th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination.
Rosalía’s scholarship has carved out a unique space in the study of race, gender and politics, both within Spain and in broader transnational contexts. Her research challenges conventional narratives, giving a voice to marginalized groups and uncovering complex and unanticipated dimensions of Spain’s cultural and political history. By continually questioning and reinterpreting dominant stories, Rosalía’s work ensures that critical conversations about identity, power and memory continue to evolve.
