Graphic: MGN Online

Since announcing his own HIV positive status in 1991, Johnson has become the face of those living with HIV. His life for the past seventeen years has shown contracting the disease does not have to be a death sentence.

With flourishing businesses in 22 states and almost 90 cities amounting to a net worth of $700 million, a sports analyst spot with TNT and a host of other lucrative endeavors, Mr. Johnson continues to live life at a fast pace. Despite that, he has continued to dedicate much of his time to having open dialogue with the goal of preventing others from contracting the disease.

In the “I Stand With Magic” campaign, Johnson and the Magic Johnson Foundation have teamed with the healthcare company Abbott to launch this program which focuses on educating and mobilizing African Americans to get tested for HIV and seek treatment. The campaign has begun a ten city tour visiting churches, high schools, and colleges in an effort to raise awareness.

Though his walk has not been easy, his success in living with the disease has proven to be both a blessing and curse to the message he seeks to impart.

“The message has to resonate with the people. Because still there’s an attitude out there that it can’t happen to me. I would say I’ve been the blessing of HIV and I’ve been the curse. I’ve been the blessing because I’m out here talking about it and we brought a face to it, and then people got serious about it. And I’ve been the curse because then people say ‘well if I get it, I can be like Magic and live for a long time.’ I’ve been able to cope with it,” said Mr. Johnson adding that he also had a great support system with his brothers, sisters, parents, children and his wife Cookie.

“Once my wife stayed in this strong and supported me and my kids, everything else has been ok. I wouldn’t say easy, but I can handle it. It’s a lot of pressure though, to make sure our people understand that this disease is still out here,” said Mr. Johnson. “When I first announced, everybody’s like, ‘ok, I’m going to get tested’. And now what we’re seeing is a lot of people go get tested, but they just don’t go back for their results. We have to change that.”

He cited regular testing as a crucial factor in having a chance to stay on top of the virus. “With early detection, just like me, you can be here for long time. We’re finding in our communities you wait till you get sick and then something’s wrong with you. Now, even the drugs are not going to work. That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to go out and get tested.”

(For more information about the “I Stand With Magic” program and the Magic Johnson Foundation, please visit www.magicjohnson.com.)