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Magic
Johnson - Good Works
The Magic
Johnson Foundation, founded by Earvin “Magic” Johnson
in 1991, works to develop programs and support community-based
organizations that address the educational, health and social
needs of ethnically diverse, urban communities.
Since
its inception in 1991, the Magic Johnson Foundation has had
a significant, impact towards positively changing the face
of urban, minority communities. Our programs and services
are dedicated to harvesting an affirmative affect on community
revitalization by:
eliminating
negative cultural barriers;
advancing
economic and social equality by engaging minorities in every
aspect of their communities;
increasing
academic and innovative achievement;
raising
AIDS/HIV awareness, treatment and prevention;
the
creation of positive emerging leaders;
and
promoting collaboration and alliance among all sectors of
the community (businesses, educational institutions, legislative,
community and faith-based organizations, and policymakers).
- The
Magic Johnson Foundation has improved its rating on Charity
Navigator to Three (four star rating)
- In
2011 the Magic Johnson Foundation will celebrate their 20th
anniversary
- To
date the Taylor Michaels Scholarship program has provided
over 300 youth with resources and support
- By
year’s end 2010 our Community Empowerment Centers (CEC)
will have impacted over 245,000 disadvantaged youth
- CECs
have provided programs and transitioned over 450 families
from subsidized housing to home ownership
- CECs
have provided over 1,500 youth and young adults with GEDs
- CECs
have improved the academic performance of over 6,000 youth
- Through
the “I Stand with Magic” campaign over 89,000
people have signed up in the online campaign fight against
HIV/AIDS
- Through
the "I Stand with Magic" campaign, the Magic Johnson
Foundation has provided free HIV/AIDS testing to more than
38,000 Americans in 16 major cities. Additionally, the program
has educated nearly 280,000 people about HIV, risk factors
associated with the disease and the importance of HIV testing
- Since
2003 the partnership with AIDs Healthcare Clinics has tested
over, 3,750 adults and identified positive results for over
1000 testers
- The
Magic Johnson Foundation Annual Kid’s Mardi Gras started
in 1997 has hosted over 16,500 disadvantaged urban youth
- The
Magic Johnson Foundation Annual Holiday Party has hosted
over 45,000 youth and distributed over 300,000 toys since
1994
Magic
Johnson Encourages Entrepreneurs
By Blake
Dukes
Magic
Johnson appeared at a Housing Wires REO Expo in July 2011,
to speak to real estate customers around the country who had
gathered to hear his valuable advice.
Magic,
a 5 time NBA championship winner in the past , retired first
in 1991 after announcing that he had been infected with the
HIV virus, but returned to play in 1992 and then again in
1996 before finally retiring. He shifted his focus onto business,
but took a lot of components that made him a winner in basketball
and re-applied it.
Raising
money for AIDS awareness and his investment into real estate
proved that knowing your customers was the first ingredient
of becoming a successful business man. He spoke on good work
ethics, competitiveness, and focus being the main deciding
factors of how successful your vision is. To add to this,
I knew that my online mba would be a valuable asset to add
to my success. No matter where the attendees had come from
in the past, they were here to change their future, and where
stunned when Magic revealed that banks had turned him down
for loans in his past.
Magic
urged people to take potential investors to the site of business
and show them how to serve urban markets. This is how he won
over the CEO of Starbucks. If you find an investor, showing
them your vision in person could help them see results better.
While
many wanted autographs, I took a photo with him, but took
away more importantly, note to start my future successfully.
Inside the seminar, each of the attendees listened with respectful
facial expressions toward a living legend that we all had
cheered for in the past, but at this moment, we could see
passed that and look into tomorrow at ourselves instead.
Many in
attendance were shocked to hear some of the stories that he
shared with us in regards to his “coming up” struggles,
but it was clear that we all shared one important ingredient,
which was tenacity for success. Everyone that has even the
slightest desire to be an entrepreneur has to have this trait
in their personality makeup, or they will fall through the
cracks with their business right behind them..
I will
never forget the encouragement, insight, and confidence that
I felt after a brief meeting with Magic. With such little
time provided, I gave the condensed version of my business
idea and he again gave great advice and encouragement. I felt
that my idea had the stamp of approval by a legend , so I
was encouraged to go for it.
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