WASHINGTON—Celebrated basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson is seeking to raise awareness about AIDS.

The former Los Angeles Lakers point guard spoke at Howard University April 30 as part of a campaign to help minority communities become more educated about the disease.

Washington’s AIDS rate is higher than any other major city in the country, according to a recent D.C. report on the epidemic. Rates are highest among the city’s black population.

Johnson says that to stop spreading the HIV virus that causes AIDS, it’s important for people to get tested. He says people carrying the virus can still look healthy.

Johnson has been living with HIV for almost 17 years.