Leigh Owens

Leigh Owens is a Digital Media/Communications Specialist, Journalist, Advocate, Writer and Speaker. Leigh began his political career as a policy researcher for the Chaka Fattah Mayoral Campaign and went on to work for President Obama's historic 2008 presidential campaign. Following the Obama campaign Leigh went on to work for a PA State Representative as the Chief of Staff, where he served in a number of other capacities including, Media Director, Constituent Services Advocate and Personal Assistant to the Representative. In this capacity Leigh advocated for the release of multiple wrongfully convicted, incarcerated men, leading to the immediate release of one.

In 2009 Leigh, along with co-founder Conway Ekpo, Esq. founded the blog The Urban Politico, which in 2010 won a Black Weblog Award for best news/political blog. The Urban Politico was built from the ground up by 2 unknown, political junkies, but has grown into an entity with a strong following and has been acknowledged by many celebrities, politicians and political pundits.

Currently has served as an Associate Politics Editor for the Huffington Post, and has covered topics such as voter ID as well as the Annual Legislative Caucus, where he was able to make his first television appearance on Roland Martin's Washington Watch. Leigh has interviewed such individuals as Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Ben Chavis and Rep. Emmanual Cleaver. Leigh has discussed politics on HuffPost Live as well as a number of radio stations including a prominent South African radio network, where he now appears regularly.

Leigh has worked in the prison system, teaching creative writing to inmates on Rikers Island Prison and as a Case Manager for ex-offenders, where he became almost like a mentor to many of his clients. In 1998 Leigh traveled to Africa and Italy as a videographer for a youth ogranization. The experience overseas changed his perspective on life forever.

Currently he is the Deputy Digital Director at Tom Wolf for Governor of PA.

Leigh is author of The Invasion of Jena, ISBN: 978-1-43631-896-9, a work on the Jena 6 march of 2007.