(D- Atlanta) HD 39

- “Every person was born into this world to do something distinctive and something unique, and if he or she doesn’t do it, it will never be done”-Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

Alisha Thomas Morgan was born in Miami, Florida.  Born with a passion to serve, Alisha has dedicated her life and her work to helping others and has the courage to do things that have never been done before.

She is a graduate of Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Sociology and Drama.  Her passion for making a difference began in Florida when she became involved with the Miami Dade Youth Council of the NAACP.  She later served as President of the youth council, the Spelman College Chapter, and State President of the Youth and College Division.

Alisha is married to David L. Morgan Jr., a principal at KIPP Achieve Academy in Atlanta. They reside in Cobb County and are members of Destiny World Church in Austell.

In November 2002, Alisha made history by becoming the first African American to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives from Cobb County.  Recently re-elected with 86% of the vote in the primary and 65% in the General election, at 27, she remains the youngest serving member of the entire Georgia General Assembly.  She continues to make her mark as she recently stood up to the Speaker of the House for in working to protect voting rights as well as policies passed in the House of Representatives that hurt minorities, young people, the poor and the elderly. She is working to make major changes to the way young people are treated in the Georgia Penal system. She continues to work on behalf of the least of these through her work on Children’s Issues, Health Care issues and bringing what she calls real people into the political process.  In the Georgia House of Representatives, Alisha serves on the Education, Children and Youth and Information and Audits Committees.

Alisha has received several leadership awards and honors from the NAACP.  She has also been honored by the Concerned Black Clergy with the Outstanding Young Woman Award, the Unsung Heroine award by the Anti-Defamation League, and during her first term in the legislature was selected as the Freshman Legislator of the Year by the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.  She has been featured in several local, state, and national publications including the Atlanta Tribune, Women Looking Ahead, she was selected as one of Georgia’s brightest 40 under 40 by Georgia Trend Magazine, featured in Ebony magazine as one of the Nation’s 30 Leaders who are under 30, and was listed as one of 10 of “America’s Young Civil Rights Heroes” by AOL Black Voices.  She recently was one of six women in the country featured in the article “I Made in By 30 and You Can Too”, in Marie Claire Magazine, February 2006 issue.

Alisha has received national recognition for her leadership as a legislator in being selected as a delegate to travel to South Africa with the American Council of Young Political Leaders and has recently been selected as a 2006 Flemming Fellow by the Center for Policy Alternatives.

Alisha is also a radio host of her own political talk show on 1380 WAOK in Atlanta, “Community Talk” on Monday nights at 6:00pm.

Alisha’s memberships include:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Rho Zeta Omega Chapter
Life Member of the NAACP
Board Member, Joseph E. Lowery Institute
Steering Committee Member, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda
Member, Austell Community Taskforce
Northwest Georgia Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women