Social media trolls can't dim Leona Gray's shine as she preps for SocialCon 2025

Yahoo

5 days ago

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – In the digital age, many people take pride in being 'multihyphenates,' individuals with multiple professions and skills. This is very true of Shreveport Police Corporal Leona Gray.
You may have seen Gray with other officers securing the perimeter of events, ensuring safety, interacting with community members at SPD events, or perhaps as one of the faces of the department's recruiting campaign, which caused some controversy and will be covered later. Or still, perhaps you're one of her dance fitness students, hired her as a DJ, photographer or maybe she's been helping you fix your life like Iyanla.
SocialCon ambassadors seek to learn, inspire at upcoming event
However, you became familiar with Leona Gray; she's now adding 'SocialCon ambassador' to her list of accomplishments.
Gray is joining a host of local content creators and national influencers for the upcoming digital marketing and networking event and says showing up in every space as her authentic self is what opened the door for this moment and her rapidly growing social media presence.
'Showing up authentically is key. Building community is key. And it's not about like, how many followers you have. It's about actually building relationships with people that support you. And that's where the movement starts,' Gray said.
But no movement is without detractors, and when the Shreveport Police Department started rolling out its recent recruitment campaign, some social media users saw it as a time to regurgitate negative commentary and outdated racist tropes about Gray's appearance. According to those who believe job performance and professionalism are direct products of hairstyling, Gray's neatly woven, braided locs and tight fade are unbecoming of a police officer, even though she has risen through the ranks to become corporal. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Shreveport media personality ready to share digital talents, expert insights at SocialCon
While the negative voices were loud, the support was even louder, and reluctantly, Gray released a video on her social media platforms detailing who she is and why closed minds and negativity will not detour her path or purpose. She said her faith is what got her through the ugly rhetoric.
'Truth moment, I pray. It's easier said than done because sometimes you do want to clap back. But that's not. That's not who I am. And so I think the biggest thing is having, a solid foundation in who you are and in Christ, not to sound, you know, but that that's true,' Gray said. 'You have to have that and that, that that is what brings me through is prayer and going and meditating and knowing that, hey, listen, I know who I am and listen, they talked about Jesus. So, who am I? That's the biggest thing for me.'
What the online haters and trolls sought to diminish is her superpower: 'For me, purpose is everything. And I do my best to show up in any capacity. With that in mind, that this is my purpose. And I truly want to help people become the best selves, inside and out. That's that's from fitness life coaching. And my media business. All of that ties into, my passion for purpose and people.'
On June 7, 2025, at the inaugural SocialCon, Gray and other like-minded creators, digital marketers, influencers, lookers, lurkers, and fans will gather in downtown Shreveport at the Eleven Events Center to interlock their collective passions and purposes for a day of sharing and preparation for growth.
Content creators, influencers, small businesses don't miss SocialCon 2025
'With SocialCon, people will have access to the leaders who know how this works. They'll have the tools that they need to get started. Once they leave, and I think that the biggest thing is just being in the room with like-minded people, is a huge, huge thing with us. We need that.'
For Gray, success on social media resembles self-awareness. As many who achieve rapid social media success have learned, burnout can come quickly as content consumption increases. But for those who create from the heart and share glimpses of their authentic selves, success soon follows.
'The real secret is truly showing up as your authentic self, because sometimes we get so caught up with the algorithm in the trends. Not realizing that people are looking to connect with the actual person, not the product,' Gray said.
Tickets, information on featured speakers, and award nominees can be found on SocialCon.org. The full interview with Leona Gray can be viewed on the KTAL News YouTube channel.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.