GUEST SPEAKER

Kiah Morris—Originally from Chicago, Kiah Morris lives in Vermont, where she served in the general assembly as a State Representative from 2014 to 2016 and 2016 to 2018. She is the first African American and person of color elected from Bennington County and the second African American woman to be elected to the legislature in Vermont history. Her story of success and struggle has been covered internationally by over four dozen media outlets, including CNN, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Hill, Essence, The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, PBS, BBC Radio, and Vice Media.

She is an award-winning, in-demand trainer, speaker, and presenter. She provides consultative services, workshops, and presentations on diversity, equity, and leadership for organizations worldwide. Morris previously served as the executive director for the Rights and Democracy Project (VT/NH), former co-chair/commissioner for the Vermont Commission on Women, and former appointee to the State of Vermont Environmental Justice Advisory Group. She currently serves as a Sisters on the Planet ambassador for Oxfam America, a board member of the Vermont Humanities Council, and a facilitator for the Vermont Environmental Justice Network.

Morris also holds an accomplished artistic career as an actress on stage, film, television, spoken word performance, singer, dancer, and arts manager. As an arts advocate with a passion for community-based art, she has produced numerous special events, concerts, and art exhibits during her career. Her work focuses on amplifying voices of the oppressed, issues of human rights, and social justice. She is also the author of a recently published book of poetry, Life Lessons and Lyrical Translations of My Soul, and she is currently directing and producing a docuseries on race in Vermont titled Colorlines in the Green Mountains with Long Shot Productions.