Kiah Morris
Ruqaiyah Khadijah "Kiah" Morris (born March 14, 1976) is an American politician who formerly served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives for the Democratic Party. Early life and education. Born in Chicago, Morris earned a B.A. in Gender Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a graduate degree from Roosevelt University. Political career. Morris was first elected in 2014 alongside longtime Republican representative Mary A. Morrissey. The two were reelected in 2016 after running unopposed. The only African American woman in the state legislature, Morris announced in August 2018 that she would not  seek reelection to a third term following a campaign of racist threats against her and her family. She resigned the following month, citing as an additional factor the desire to focus on her husband's recovery from open-heart surgery. Morris has also served as director of the Alliance for Community Transformations, based in Bennington. Personal life. Morris is married to James Lawton. They have a son.