ORLANDO, Fla. – There’s something to be said about the often wise nature of a monthly columnist, someone knowledgeable and charitable enough to share their common sense with others yet also busy and methodical to the point of doing so just a dozen times per year.
This week on “Black Men Sundays,” host Corie Murray interviews Karlon Johnson — a financial expert who created the Building Black Wealth column in The Orlando Times — for an extra dose of that once-exclusive fiscal insight.
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“If you don’t have a budget set for yourself, even with you having kids — or if you’re in my situation, right now I don’t have any kids but I have a budget in place — then from there, you know how you can move your money around after said (paycheck-to-paycheck) expenses have been put into place as well as really understanding what discretionary income you have left over after said expenses to be able to either save to really do what you want to do, or do your best to find another avenue,” Johnson said.
Of course, even though we say “once-exclusive,” it’s not as if “Black Men Sundays” and The Orlando Times are the only places you can go to hear Johnson’s advice. Here in Orlando, Johnson said he’s known for holding financial literacy workshops and seminars for organizations such as Big Sisters Little Sisters, also writing pieces for publications that include Home Business Magazine.
“What I saw growing up and what I know now, I know a lot of the people don’t actually have the same knowledge, that they don’t have access to the same knowledge or ideals, and because of that, I said, ‘Well, I want to be able to make sure I build wealth for a generation or at least instill the knowledge of building generational wealth for us,’ i.e. building Black wealth,” Johnson said.
Many of those seminars were held as Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in finance at the University of Central Florida. He’s currently on track to get a master’s degree in business from UCF as well.
“I did a lot of financial literacy workshops when I was at UCF — I think during my internship at FAIRWINDS Credit Union, if you’re familiar with that, here in Orlando, even as I became full time with them in 2018 — a lot of financial literacy workshops with Black student organizations. That was always the primary target, as well as being open to speak with other student organizations as well who’s not Black,” Johnson said.
When it comes to finding encouragement through education, Johnson said the best strategy centers upon self-reflection, first and foremost.
“(A) workshop that I did last year was about money values and influences, and believe it or not — and what I deemed to be found is true — how you grew up and what you seen as a child, and as you continue to grow up throughout middle school, high school and then your early life and maybe your 20s or wherever you are in your set life, all plays an important part on how you’re going to value your money once it’s in your hands,” Johnson said. “...The reason why I say education is the best strategy is because once you really understand what money could do for you, however that looks to you, then you will be able to say ‘OK, I’m educated enough to know what money can do for me, how I can go about doing it and the things that I need to put in place in order to make whatever form of living I want to have for myself of my family happen?’”
Hear the full interview and more in Season 2, Episode 15 of “Black Men Sundays.”
Black Men Sundays talks about building generational wealth. Check out every episode in the media player below.