By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

Flau’jae Johnson is no stranger to pressure. As a standout junior guard for LSU’s women’s basketball team, she has learned how to manage the intensity of big games, the demands of academics, and the responsibility of being a high-profile athlete in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. Now, she’s adding another role to her résumé—helping relieve consumer debt for thousands of African American families in Louisiana. “I’ve been working with Experian for quite some time now,” Johnson said during an appearance on the Black Press of America’s Let It Be Known News. “We did a lot of things just for helping students learn about financial literacy. So, when this opportunity came about, I was ecstatic. I was like, wow, this is really going to help change lives because debt can really hold people back. They’re just fighting to survive instead of learning how to build more finances.”

Experian’s latest initiative will relieve $5 million in consumer debt for 5,000 families in Louisiana, one of the states with the highest percentage of poverty in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The credit organization noted that 50 percent of African Americans over 18 are “very/fairly worried” about getting out of debt, and the state has one of the highest unbanked rates in America at 8.1 percent. Further, 52 percent of African American adults indicated they are working to rebuild their credit, and about 1 in 4 have their mortgage applications denied.   The initiative, which was carried out in partnership with ForgiveCo, a public benefit corporation (PBC), aims to ease the financial burden of those struggling with debt. To further incentivize success, Experian will add $100,000 in additional debt relief for every game LSU wins in the upcoming college basketball tournament, up to $500,000. “Helping it aligns with the tournament, the more games we win, that’ll be 100K more that we’re adding into the pot,” Johnson said. “Coming to the Louisiana community and trying to help is what I want to do because they poured into me, and they kind of adopted me since I came here.”

The initiative isn’t just about canceling debts. It’s also about giving people the tools to manage their financial future. Beneficiaries will receive a free one-year premium Experian membership, which offers access to credit reports, FICO Scores, credit monitoring, and other financial resources. Johnson understands firsthand how valuable those tools can be, especially for young people navigating newfound financial independence. “I didn’t know a lot going into college,” she said. “I came into college with NIL, and we get paid all these dollars. Thankfully, I had a mom that was into her finances, but everybody doesn’t have that. So, it’s just kind of taking that initiative to do it yourself and learn. A lot of people don’t know about credit, don’t know about finances. You can’t grow that way.” Johnson has balanced basketball, NIL deals, music, and school while ensuring she stays on top of her finances. Time management, she said, is key. “I got to get school out the way before I do anything,” she said. “Top of the week, so I’m not stressing on due dates. If I have to study for an exam, that will take more days. If I have different assignments, I use one day to get everything done. It’s all about scheduling and time management.”

For Johnson, this partnership is about more than just this moment—it’s about helping create long-term financial knowledge that can benefit families and young people alike. “I’m the type of person who says, put your money where your mouth is,” she said. “If you really want to help, do that. And that’s what they’re doing. Five million dollars is a lot of money, and 5,000 families, that’s a lot of people. This is just the start.” Johnson hopes this partnership and her platform will encourage more young people to take financial literacy seriously. “Learn how to use credit,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know how to use credit. There are so many ways to use credit for what you need, your business, and your future. There are so many entrepreneurs in my generation now. If they know how to use credit to be financially successful, that would be one of my tips.”

Johnson has big plans, both on and off the court. As LSU gears up for March Madness, she knows that every victory means more relief for Louisiana families. “No matter what, when we win, we help more people, more families,” she said. “We got six games—first round, second round, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the championship. That could be $600,000 extra.” She’s also keeping her music career going. “I just dropped a song today,” she said. “It’s called ‘What It Takes.’ It’s about the trophy, the tournament, everything like that.” Even with so many pursuits, Johnson never loses sight of the importance of financial stability, a lesson she’s learned from her mother and her own experiences.

“I think it’s important to have a team, especially when you have so many different streams of income,” she said. “LSU does a really good job of bringing in people to help us understand finances, credit, and taxes. That’s why when I’m talking to the Experian people, they think I’m so cool because they’re like, ‘How do you know this?’ I really study. I pay attention.” For Johnson, financial literacy isn’t just about making money, it’s about sustaining it. “Money isn’t everything, but it keeps the world going around,” she said. “You want to protect that, build that, grow that. I see these athletes signing multimillion-dollar deals, and then they go bankrupt. And I’m like, what was the disconnect? Because I don’t want to go that route. I really pay attention to everything.”

More information about Experian’s debt relief initiative can be found at experian.com/relief.

Stacy M. Brown

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