Nothing But Magic, Ervin Johnson Survives 20 Years With HIV


Watch Ervin “Magic” Johnson discuss his 20 year bout with HIV.

The former Los Angeles Laker point guard had a reason to celebrate his life.

Johnson recognized the occasion at Staples Center on Monday with an upbeat celebration and a message of steadfastness. Dozens of politicians, celebrities and Lakers greats from Jerry West and Pat Riley to James Worthy and Michael Cooper joined Johnson and AIDS researcher David Ho for a luncheon, and the Magic Johnson Foundation announced a $1 million gift to continue its mission for worldwide HIV awareness and testing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=J9ZgtYJmIdc

Johnson has spent the last 20 years working as an HIV advocate with The Magic Johnson Foundation.

“The only problem is, I would be happier if the numbers in the black and brown communities would go down,” Johnson said, citing the majority of each year’s 60,000 new U.S. cases of HIV in minority communities. “There’s been millions of people that have died since I announced 20 years ago, and so this is a bittersweet day. Yes, I’m living, but people are still getting this virus even as we speak. We must change the mindset, and we must do a better job educating those who live in urban America about this disease.”

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