I've been to Spain quite a few times and they only call moors (moros in spanish) the moroccans and other north africans. But they told me its a derogatory word...
What you state may be the reality today, but it was much different 500 years ago.
For the most part, the word 'Moor' as it relates to Spain, or Al Andulus and Morooco, is a corruption of the following.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0001_0_00863.html
In antiquity, 'Moor', Moros, Mauros, etc, going back to ancient Greece, was used to describe a Black person of Nubian and Beribah heritage.
No one 'elevated' the Moors. They were Master Builders who were conquerers and their civilization at its height extended from the Levant to the Ganges. In predynastic times they formed the Maa Confederacy. They were Nubians, Kushites, Kemites, Phoenicians, Kushans, Amorites, Libyans, Malians, Numidians, Habesha, Canaanites,Himyarites, etc.
In Al Andulus, there were two branches of Moorish nobles. One branch traced their lineage to Morocco. These were related to the Almoravids and Almohads. There was another branch, who converted to Catholocism. These were related to the Saudis.
This is why there is conflict in Africa today between Black Islamic Nationalists and Salafists, who are of Saudi origin.
The oldest US treaty alliance is with Morocco, but the US government remains a major ally of the Saudi royals.
This is where you must know the difference between the two. Most people who are considered Moors ideologically and culturally are distinct from Sunni Muslims from Mecca.
They are a mix of Islamic and non Islamic spiritual traditions and cultures, and yes, many who were brought to or helped colonize the Americas were Africans and Hebrews from ad far south as Kongo and Ndongo.