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. Electoral history Personal life Morris is married to James Lawton. They have a son. References External links Profile at Vote Smart Twitter account Living people 1976 births People from Bennington, Vermont Politicians from Chicago Democratic Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni African-American state legislators in Vermont Women state legislators in Vermont 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women