Dare to Dream

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American Liberator

Yanga (Nyanga)  was the stolen Prince from the royal family of Gabon Africa. Leader of a slave rebellion during the Spanish colonial rule of Mexico. The port city of Veracruz brought slaves to Mexico. Yanga's revolt freed men, women and children from Nuestra Senora de la concepcion in 1570. From there Yanga moved his people into the rugged mountains and set up a maroon colony there. Building houses, a church and a school there on Star Mountain. for more than 30 years the multicultural colony grew and prospered, partially operating on captured goods from caravans bringing in trade to Veracruz. Yang's raiders were devastating caravan cargo's so efficiently that the word from the Spanish crown was to eliminate the colony and retake control of the territory.

Spanish troops confronted Yanga's warriors in and around 1609 near Rio Blanco. Yanga at this time was an older statesman warrior who had Francisco de la Matosa as his military field commander. Francisco and his escaped men had joined Yanga around 1600. They faced 550 Spanish troops led by Pedro Gonzalez. The maroon warriors had only 100 men with some type of firearm. The rest of the Yanguicas were fighting with machete, bow and arrows and rocks. There were severe losses on both sides. The Spaniards burned the settlement but couldn't beat or subdue Yanga's forces. The warriors of Yanga simply disappeared into the terrain that had helped them defeat the enemy for years. Yanga's warriors and people took refuge inside Citlaltepetl volcano and fought the Spanish to a stalemate.

Gaspar's plan was to pain the ranks of the Spanish so bad that it would bring the Spaniards to the negotiating table. Yanga had already sent demands to the enemy from a captured Spanish soldier. The demands were rejected. At this point Gaspar challenged the Spaniards to come and meet death. Fighting relentlessly and using the superior tactics of Yanga, the maroon bloodied the Spanish troops to such a degree that by 1618 the viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) began negotiations with Gaspar resistance.

There were 11 conditions made by Yanga before he would lay down arms against Spain. One of the concessions was the establishment of a free town of former black slaves. This was something unheard of in this time period. A town ruled by Black People, free people in a period of slavery. By 1630 the town of San Lorenzo de los Negros de Cerralve was established; later called the city of Yanga.




This monumental accomplishment is a milestone of African American history. Gaspar Yanga and his people forced a new social order in the mist of an institutional vacuum. Every year Aug.10th a carnival is held to celebrate Gaspar Yanga. The American Liberator, founder of the first free city in American history.

The inscription under Yanga's statue reads

African Black Liberator and precursor 

of the black slaves who founded the town of 

San Lorenzo de Cerralvo (now Yanga) by agreement of the viceroy of 

New Spain, Rodrigo Pacheco,

on the third day of October 1631 by order of the viceroy's pen. Village Captain Hernando of Castro Espinosa 

H. Ayuntamento Constl. 

1973-1976

He who writes History

Tariq  ibn  Ziyad

the conqueror of Spain

Tariq, the great African chief of the Moors 

was made general of the Arab army and subjugated Spain increasing Moorish holdings northward into the Iberian Penisular. The Arabs and Africans of North Africa joined forces after bitter conflict. But now trade, commerce and the islamic faith connected the Moors and Arabs into one of the most powerful global forces of that era (beating the Romans and the Persians). 

The Moors were African warrior scholars and part of the Islamic Empire, and Tariq ibn Ziyad was it's brightest commander. A brilliant general, a man of faith and unwavering determination. 

Tariq gathered his troops at Gibraltar (which means the mountain of Tariq) then landed on the Spanish coast with his Moorish warriors, 300 Arabs and 7000 native African Moors. Then he ordered the ships to be burned! When asked why, Tariq said "We will conquer or perish" And in their first engagement with the Visigoths upon landing, Tariq  killed the Visigoth Lord Theodore Meir.

 The next wave of Goths came with Rodriquez and his 80,000 men. The Moors and Arabs were superior in the art of mobile warfare. they were superb horsemen and had mastered the art of rapid enveloping movements. There was no contest. Even though the Muslims were outnumbered, the Visigoths were cut to pieces. Rodriquez was slain in battle with all his men. From there Tariq and his Black army swept into Spain and defeated the Visigoths in successive stages. 

The bloodiest battle was at Guadalete. This time Tariq faced 100,000 Goths. With his 7,000 Moors and 5,000  Berber reinforcements (Barbary pirates of Africa). Tariq annihilated the Visigoth King Roderick and drowned him in the river Barbate. Tariq divided his small army into four divisions and three of his lieutenants were sent to take Cordova, Malaga and Granada. Tariq himself at the head of his army took Toledo, the capital of Spain. The Moors were unstoppable, and Visigothic  Spain ceased to be. The few Visigoths left fled to the caves of the Cantabrian mountains.

Tariq stood King in Africa and Spain

(Chief in Morocco and Governor of Spain)

The Moors brought art, science and culture. They built palaces where African monarchs ruled. They built gardens, hospitals mosques and libraries, well paved streets with sidewalks, public baths in the hundreds when cleanliness in Europe was considered a sin. This was the beginning of the Golden age of Islam. The oppressed masses of Jews and white serfs (slaves) of Spain hailed Tariq as their liberator. Serfdom's were abolished and fair wages were instituted. Taxes were reduced to a fifth of the produce and anyone who accepted Islam was relieved of servitude. A large number of Spaniards became Muslim to escape  the oppression of their former masters. The religious minorities the Jews and Christians, received the protection of the state and were allowed participation at the highest levels of government. The Moors enlightened Europe and brought it out of the dark ages that ushered in the renaissance.

The Moors ruled Spain, Southern France and much of Scotland and Northern Africa during the middle ages for 700 years.

two thirds of the Spanish peninsula was renamed by the Moors as Al-Andalus

(Spain, Portugal,Gibraltar, and France)

on a comic note, the Bronze Tiger has fought with and against the Jewish Superhero team the Hayoth. It's a lot of untold stories to be told on Ben's solo exploits. 

OA1 presents

Operation: Iron Tiger