Earvin “Magic” Johnson is a retired professional basketball player and former president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He played for the Lakers for 13 seasons as the point guard.
African American athletes are changing the world through giving and Johnson knows the importance of giving back. He is an NBA superstar, businessman, and philanthropist. After being diagnosed with HIV in 1991, he founded the Magic Johnson Foundation to provide education, prevention, and research for people diagnosed with AIDS. The foundation has raised millions of dollars to build state-of-the-art clinics and provide grants to community-based organizations, especially those that focus on health initiatives for youth, women, and people of color. The foundation now awards scholarships, organizes mentoring and internship programs, as well as sponsoring job and health fairs. Johnson has donated millions to various charities and has earned the title of philanthropist. He has been part of these noble causes for nearly 20 years.