Magic Johnson, Angel Reese launch financial literacy program for Baltimore seniors

Magic Johnson and Angel Reese have launched a Baltimore financial literacy push aimed at helping high school seniors manage the money choices that can shape life after graduation. The four-session program, called Wealth Playbook, is a joint effort of the Angel Reese Foundation, the Magic Johnson Foundation and Pull Up Neighbor.

The first session was held at Saint Frances Academy, Reese’s alma mater, with support from Merrill Lynch. The curriculum is built around budgeting, credit education, investing, homeownership and entrepreneurship, a mix designed to reach students before they step into college, work or independent living.

The program lands in a city where the stakes are high. Baltimore City Public Schools reported 76,362 students enrolled for the 2025-26 school year, and federal data show Baltimore City had 550,142 people in its poverty universe in 2024. For many seniors, the difference between a stable start and a financial setback can come down to whether they understand credit scores, loan terms, bank accounts and how to build savings before signing a lease or opening a first card.

Maryland already requires personal financial literacy instruction in public schools for grades 3 through 12, a rule that has been in place since September 2011. Wealth Playbook appears to build on that statewide requirement by giving Baltimore seniors a more direct, community-based lesson in the practical decisions that can follow them long after commencement.

Reese has also backed financial literacy work before, including a Cash App partnership in October 2024. Her new collaboration with Johnson fits a broader pattern for both stars, who have increasingly paired hometown visibility with community investment. In Baltimore, the effort links celebrity influence to a familiar need: helping students leave school with a clearer grasp of how money works, and how fast it can disappear when they do not.