In a strong campus statement, senior guard Flau’jae Johnson of LSU Tigers women’s basketball declared her opposition to the proposal of erecting a statue of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on her university’s grounds.
The controversy began when Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry publicly challenged LSU’s Board of Supervisors to “find a place” for the Kirk statue, framing it as a symbol of defending free speech on college campuses.
Johnson responded on X (formerly Twitter) with four question marks “????” after sharing Landry’s video. She then went on to write that if someone aligns with or endorses Kirk’s “racist rhetoric and discriminatory views toward people of color,” she respectfully asks that they unfollow her profile.
While the LSU women’s guard is known for her athletic and musical talents—averaging 18.6 points per game in the 2024-25 season and also releasing music under her stage name—this moment places her firmly in the spotlight of athlete advocacy and campus debates.
The university has remained silent publicly on the statue proposal, and no formal decision has been announced. This incident underscores a larger national discussion about how universities choose which figures to honor and how student-athletes are weighing in on social issues.
