Black Bird Press News & Review: Tarik, the African Moor who conquered Spain

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Tarik, the African Moor who conquered Spain

Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād (Arabic: طارق بن زياد‎) also known simply as Tarik in English, was an African Berber Umayyad commander who initiated the Muslim conquest of Visigothic Hispania (Present day Spain and Portugal) in 711–718 A.D. He led a large army and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from the North African coast, consolidating his troops at what is today known as the Rock of Gibraltar. The name "Gibraltar" is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq (جبل طارق), meaning "mountain of Ṭāriq",^[1] which is named after him. The Moors (Africans/Arabs) ruled Spain from 711AD until 1492. Most of what we know of Spanish culture is Moorish African and Arab. After the fall of Grenada, Seville and Toledo, Moorish cities of grandeur, we never hear of Spanish greatness again. General Franco? WTF!

Michael J. Satchell

Black Bird Press Publisher/Editor Marvin X conversing with author Michael Satchell. Marvin X is editing his script for a book version of the film script on the life of Tarik Ibn Ziyad.
photo Adam Turner

Black Bird Press is proud to announce the forthcoming publication of Tarik, a film script on the African Moorish General who conquered Spain, 711AD. The Rock of Gibraltar is named after him.

The author is San Francisco native Michael Satchell, a son of the Fillmore District and graduate of the Broadcasting Department at San Francisco State University.

Michael Satchell has been working on the script twenty years. It is in the genre of historical fiction and details the early life of the legendary African Moorish General, especially his relationship with his childhood friend and later wife Umm Hakim.

In 711AD Tarik led 7000 Moorish warriors and 600 Arab troops into Spain, first landing at what is known as the Rock of Gibraltar (Arabic Gebal=rock, Tar=Tarik).

According to historian DeGraft Johnson, author of African Glory, "The conquest of Spain was an African Moorish conquest."

Black Bird Press Publisher Marvin X says, "When Michael Satchell told me he was going to write a film script about Tarik, I doubted his ability because I knew it would be a grandoice undertaking. And as you know, I'm the only one qualified to do extravaganzas! LoL More recently when Michael handed me the script and told me his ideas for the film, I replied, "Who do you think you are, Cecil B DeMill?"

After reading and editing the script, I must confess that Michael Satchell is not guilty of hyperbole. It is a masterpiece of historical fiction. Black Bird Press is proud to be part of this project and we look forward to seeing the film produced. We know our brother Danny Glover will be part of this project! We plan to release the book version by Michael's birthday in early April.

--MARVIN X