William S. Morris is passionate about American history. He is a published author, educator, lawyer, historian, and public speaker. A visionary and conservative, Morris teaches, researches, and writes about African American history. His unique presentations travel back in time centuries before the intercontinental slave trade and explore the broad multi-generational African ancestral experience. He also lectures on Critical Race Theory and its adverse impacts on American public education.
In his book, “In Defense of the Nation: Black Iowans at War”, William chronicles the contributions and trials of black soldiers from the foundation of this nation in the Revolutionary War to later major conflict in Operation Desert Storm. He lectures on African American history to inspire the next generation and expand their knowledge of Black achievement beyond slavery and racism.
William Morris has lectured and taught at the junior college, high school, and middle school levels. He is the author of numerous newspaper articles and contributed the chapter on military history for the comprehensive history of African Americans in Iowa, “Outside In: African American History in Iowa 1838-2000”, published by the Iowa State Historical Society. He is also the author of the chapters Black Soldiers In The Civil War and The Buffalo Soldiers In The Indian Wars for the book “Black Faces of War”, which he co-authored with his late brother Robert Morris and published by Zenith Press. William is a student of history, and has written several papers on low-intensity warfare and crime, the militarization of law enforcement, and the evolution of street gangs into insurgent organizations.
William is a third generation lawyer (retired) from Iowa where his family was deeply involved in the civil rights movement and newspaper publishing. Morris regularly shares his expertise on African American history and contemporary Black politics through public lectures and podcasts. He has also done interviews with local newspapers.
Currently residing in Texas, the Iowa native received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. He practiced law for 31 years and has served on the board of directors of the Iowa State Historical Society, the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center, the Morris Scholarship Fund, and the Willkie House, Inc. He is a Life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
