It doesn't mean we agree on everything, we don't, but that's healthy," he said. Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur M. Blank released a statement Monday on the importance of fair elections and democracy: "Free and fair elections are vital to the health of our. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. Now it's ranked like seventh. meathead) culture inside the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. But he was. I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. 10, Following proposed changes to Georgia voting laws in early 2021, Blank released a statement saying, We should be working to make voting easier, not harder for every eligible citizen, and that his businesses and family foundation will support efforts that advance voting access for the citizens of Georgia and across the nation. 11 Blank also participated in an online call with over 100 corporate executives to discuss taking action following changes to state voting laws including the possibility of delaying investments in states that pass allegedly restrictive voting laws. /SMask /None>> Atlanta Falcons vNew Orleans Saints Owner Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Flacons reacts before a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. There's no place for looting and stealing and whatever else. So I would just cut him some slack. "This grant will help The Center add to its existing . Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. 5) They all live life with purpose. And how do I put my shoulder to the wheel and lead by example and take the blessings of all the resources that our family. And so he carries a weight of authority that somebody who's just called a suit and comes in and talks to them and doesn't quite feel the same, same way. Paul, are you there? Georgia Public Radio GPTV, a 2019 Report from the EJI documents more than 4440 racial terror lynchings in the U.S. between 1877 and 1950], National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Political Rewind: Theater critic Jesse Green remembers Mary Rodgers in 'Shy', Longtime nature writer Janisse Ray delivers gripping debut novel, At new season kickoff, Atlanta United looks for fresh start on the field. Paul, are you OK? I was going to call his secretary, thinking Paul got a heart attack or something. And I told him before, You get in a convertible and drive around the field and Michael, there are 73,000 people in the building. But We Aint Seen Nuthin Yet. 2010-2023 Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. >> They put my mother, my brother and I in the living room with one of them and the other was searching the house, looking for cash that wasn't there. Soccer fans don't want to feel like they go into a stadium and they're a second-class citizen citizen. I think back when I lived in a neighborhood, you know, a small neighborhood, when my mother and dad were alive, we all took care of each other. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. And then he came up to my suite afterward and it was like 10, 15 minutes later, his face was just full of tears and he said that he was so moved by it. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. /SA true With Labels, Listen to Affected Populations, Not Activists, As With Alcohol, Mitigation, Not Prohibition, Is the Answer, It Seems Democrats Are Blundering Badly (Again) with Their All-Abortion, All-the-Time Campaign. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. << But Blank regularly speaks on business school campuses, where future leaders and executives tell him they are anxious about the environment, the wealth gap, racial and gender inequities, and a litany of examples of corporate malfeasance. I seriously doubt the leagues TV ratings or ad revenue would suffer an iota. Falcons owner Arthur Blank made a $15 million donation on Tuesday to The Cooper Institute, run by its founder Dr. Kenneth Cooper, a friend of Blank's and a strong proponent of preventive medicine. << Enter your email address to be notified about new posts. It's not trying influence, but trying to share philosophies of life and stories and thoughts about a certain set of values, which really transcend business, nonprofit, as well as the political arena. Among Blanks diverse interests are the nationwide PGA Tour Superstore chain, three guest ranches in Montana, and a family foundation that counts millions in economic development investments on Atlantas beleaguered Westside among its $660-million outlay to date. /CreationDate (D:20210314125741+02'00') Soon after, Blank met his third wife Angela Macuga whom he married in 2016 and later announced their plans to divorce in 2019. And we've had a very successful team for the first threeand-a-half years this year. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. Left to right: Dennis Ross, Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, Pat Farrah, Ron Brill. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. I suspect he had help. This must happen more than every four years, because theres no offseason for democracy. When GALEO was established, Georgias Latino community was not well represented, nor was it a viable electoral force; today, there are over 385,000 registered Latino voters in the state. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. It's an inverted pyramid that speaks to our whole orientation and all of our businesses today. We expect to learn a great deal from these groups and have that learning inform our strategy on voting access and civic participation in Georgia and beyond. One where guys like the Vikings' Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. In the 1940sGeorgia mountains, eight children were taken into the woods and left to die. I felt and others felt that we could be successful here. So there wasn't a word on the other end of the phone. ', We have to be better than this moment. Atlanta rapper, advocate Killer Mike has message for protestors https://t.co/zb3oMHK7sx, "You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country. /AIS false OMG, Democrats Are Criminally Bad At Marketing What They Accomplish. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. It's hard to believe. After cofounding Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978, Blank and Marcus helped put the do-it-yourself phenomenon on the map by offering the tools for personal home renovations. The family foundation has already invested over $20 million into the surrounding community. The guest. 4 0 obj So, then we opened up The Home Depot. We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. 4, Blank purchased the NFLs Atlanta Falcons for more than $540 million shortly after stepping down as CEO of Home Depot. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? The 74-year-old Blank, who Forbes estimates has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, is the director of Cox. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. Martin Luther King Jr. once lived in this part of town, but decades of disinvestment and neglect have resulted in over 40 percent of the community living in poverty with an unemployment rate twice that of the rest of Atlanta. ~B?/"J()NF =|Z|&t?jCJw)C 0H>~9 ( 81c2fO=a>}@#y}~9]jqCZ'}*x:qj@PTj+2>dm?aU2 8'z?mWm)yt7,?:99=, +oG6 <4!I lg, ]6vDT2zu9~1bA'px#?)X&,:irv.q'/U:~]{tf&[eR|ozKD-sCEAMnO e=#MguofhNFT1vMfH# Q,e_oZdb_47OatAYs2=LJr~R1# gwg],Xs7q72 f) _n:R-r9-:Q`Mg?_t*"v8? Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons owner and co-founder of Home Depot) 2020Joe Biden 2016Hillary Clinton 2012Barack Obama Maxine Clark (founder and former CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop) 2016Hillary Clinton Michael Eisner (former CEO of Disney) 2016Marco Rubio, then later Hillary Clinton 2016Kamala Harris Jack M. Greenberg (former CEO of McDonald's) And my mother was giving him a lecture saying, You realize this is not what your parents would want you to do. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". We must not accept or condone violence in any way. Now, there's no place for violent protest. "This notion of divisiveness has become, in my humble opinion, maybe, post-Civil War, probably one of the most stressful times I've ever seen in our country," he said. In order to put this grinding pandemic behind us once and for all? Home Depot cofounder, Arthur Blank, is a longtime Democratic supporter and donated $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden between July and September in 2020, Forbes reported. He received his MBA from Harvard. But my mother would say to me, You know, what you have to say is important. Kirk Cousins Failed His Character Test, But the NFL Gives Him Its Highest Award for Character Anyway, Bidens Junk Fee Fight Should Include Broders Deli as Well as Las Vegas. A reckless high-profile meathead, now out the $60 million remaining on his contract. And, you know, you see the blending of every type of person and personality you can imagine. "And I'm not 100 years old I'm getting there, but I'm not but the things I see and deal with are just inherently not what's made this country great. It is making no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out about the Redskins and others who had contact with the team. But Still Not Even an Indictment. I remember I called the commissioner then, who was Paul Tagliabue, and I say, Well, Paul, I have this idea. Brian Kemp signed the controversial bill, which includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run. The Braves leaving town also represented an end to the multicultural hub in the heart of the city that was forged by those Olympics. And so he's used that time since he got out of prison and giving back to community, speaking to young people. You know, he uses the phrase community of chaos, that we move away from chaos and towards community and community in a very broad sense, community with each other. Atlanta Falcons employees are most likely to be members of the Republican Party. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. "Obviously, it's a tragic time in the history of the. But he did. Do it in November. Not about dogfighting. Who knows how successful theyll be, and many residents worry that economic growth could facilitate gentrification. She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. Arthur Blank co-founded the Home Depot in the late 1970s after being fired from a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. They were trying to indicate that what the military had fought for these rights, the civil rights, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. So everything is designed to accommodate the soccer fans so they feel like this is their place as a result of that. We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. The wealthy propose tax increases on the poor and middle class to pay for their new stadiums, and they claim that new businesses flocking to the area will magically cover the costs. And he recently gave $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden, Forbes reported. 1, I think at that time I didn't probably fully appreciate the environment, the communities and neighborhood that Michael was raised in, an area called New Newport News. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". Dueling Visions for Minnesota: Scandinavia or South Dakota? Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!!! /BitsPerComponent 8 We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. A protest has purpose. In recent years Atlantas sports teams have attracted controversies that have highlighted the racial disparities that still largely define the city. Citizens and municipalities have for far too long believed these baseless claims, paid for the stadium, and watched them lie dormant during the offseason as the new businesses never came. That coming the day before the New York Times dropped the bomb(s) about Gruden calling the NFL commissioner a faggot, ripping the leagues concussion protocols, (in other words, Grudens pro-concussion) and trading nudie pictures of cheerleaders. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Blank, speaking with Falcons reporters via phone from the Super Bowl, expressed confidence in the direction of the team following a 7-10 finish under second-year coach Arthur Smith. Those come first. Though the 78-year-old who's now the owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team was aware of their political differences, he said it never had any bearing on their shared values. February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. Liz Cheney Aint Going Nowhere in This Republican Party, Jensens Abortion Ban Promises Come Back to Haunt Him, Thanks to Oppo. I mean, I was stuttering when I was senior class president, [and in] student government. Like all stories meant to inspire, he takes some knocks. My dad didn't look at who it was. He and his brother, Michael, were raised in a one-bedroom apartment. They all understand it's, you know, you have an opportunity to be here on Earth and how do you want to leave it? 7) A message sent to Arthur Blank from President Obama in 2018, thanking him for his commitment to affordability at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium after Blank cut concession prices by 50%. We want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burned to the ground. C q" During the 2020 elections, Blank contributed $300,000 to Biden Victory Fund, $35,000 to the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of dollars to state Democratic Party committees. I want you guys to come up with real solutions. 7, Blank founded the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in 1995 and has awarded over $560 million to causes such as education and early childhood development. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. But he was there and he finally said, Listen, you own the franchise, you have the option. NOW WATCH: We combined Trump and Biden's separate town halls so you can watch an actual debate between the presidential candidates, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. I worked with him for over 40 years and we shared the same bathroom for over 30 years, which is more than any of our marriages lasted," said Blank, who's currently valued by Forbes at about $6.2 billion. Owner Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Flacons reacts before a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners. But Its All Too Familiar. For more information about Life Itself, visit the . Resistance to Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Futile. %PDF-1.4 Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL. But really, in my view, it's mostly that talking to young people about, you know, here's somebody who's been there, done it, gotten on T-shirts, lived it, and somebody whose name they respect or the least they know of, I should say, in most cases. (Confidentiality, you know.) The Westside also suffers from severe flooding problems, and the stadium has a 1.1 million gallon storm vault underground to trap and reuse their rain water, and help prevent flooding. Players and coaches appear giving quick testimonials. The Gruden e-mails were leaked from a (way too) long-running investigation of the toxic (i.e. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Together we will rise above this on the strength of what has always made Atlanta great its people, its leaders of past and present and its unique culture that is welcoming to all. We are better than this We are better than this as a country. He also goes public about the pain of learning of Michael Vicks role in an illegal dogfighting ring, along with other ups and downs in a life of unimaginable financial success. "It's healthy to disagree on things, but it's not acceptable to not be kind.". The foundation is . But, we really could not have done it without great service, great pricing, and great product knowledge. And the Falcons new stadiumscheduled to open this summerwith an estimated cost of $1.5 billion, $200 million coming from Atlanta hotel-motel taxesis definitely big and shinny with tons of gadgets to enhance the fan experience. But this is where the similarities with most other stadiums end. They survived. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and . We have to be better than burning down our own homes because if we lose Atlanta what else do we have?, I want you to go home. GPBs Virginia Prescott asked Blank about some of those stories in a conversationpresented in collaboration with Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlantas Book Festival in Your Living Room, the National JCC Literary Consortium and the Atlanta History Center. 15, Two of Blanks children, Dena Kimball and Kenny Blank, sit on the board of directors of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. And so he speaks to people throughout the United States, young people primarily, about that. 03/03/2023. The statement came about five days after Gov. The league has recently been running in-game PSAs pushing cancer and mental health awareness screenings, etc. And if you go to the Museum of Equal Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, [Equal Justice Initiative Director] Bryan Stevenson says the same thing: We need to recognize [that] these 5000 lynchings took place in the United States[a 2019 Report from the EJI documents more than 4440 racial terror lynchings in the U.S. between 1877 and 1950]. And I remember he told me, he said, You know, when [I went into] the prison system, they gave me three pair of underwear, three shirts, three pair slacks, three socks and one pair of shoes, and that was it. He said, That was all I was going to have, as opposed to the lifestyle he was leading before. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. Now, the last game we had in the Georgia Dome before we moved to Mercedes Benz Stadium in August of 2017, wewere honoring all of our ring of honor members and he was one of them. The Blank foundation also emphasizes environmental sustainability and aims to support programs that foster this message in the Westside. Organizations also called to move The Masters, which begins April 8. Well, I shouldn't say I'm not. GPB intern Eva Rothenberg contributed to this article. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. 16 Blanks son, Kenny Blank, also sits on the foundations board and is the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. And whether, you know, be it Dr. King or, a great friend to America and a great leader, Congressman Lewis, [who] was a great personal friend of mine and served our country beautifully, would say peaceful nonviolent protest is how we that's how we make progress. Seventy percent of the players in the NFL are African American a disproportionate number. Link Copied! Blank, who is worth about $6.2 billion, per Forbes, is one of the higher donors among Biden's billionaire backers, who outnumber Trump's at 134 to 101, although more of Biden's backers have given the $2,800 personal maximum. Theres a revelation of Blank stumbling dazedly into a parking lot after being abruptly forced out of Home Depot in 2001, and his devastation after the Falcons epic 2017 loss in the Super Bowl. That is the change we need in this country.". Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. I'm not sure how they're going to receive you. 6 0 obj Two Gruden compadres, ex-Gophers star and former NFL coach Tony Dungy and his ESPN partner Mike Tirico, both black, are in a bad spot for defending Gruden about his michellin [sic] tires description of another black guys lips. /Subtype /Image To anyone interested in a deeper dive into NFL culture I strongly recommend, Big Game by New York Times Magazine writer Mark Leibovich for an inside-the-suites sense of who says what to who when its more or less just them peer billionaires talking. If you go to a Home Depot shareholders meeting, they start out every single meeting for 42 years now with this value wheel that we developed. /Type /XObject A Member of the Blank Family of Businesses. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) So it was good. During the past year, GALEO staff and volunteers have participated in events at food banks, churches, and schools, where they provide information while assisting with free COVID-19 testing and food distribution. The Atlanta Falcons new stadium is going to be beautiful. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. It's a beautiful thing. Despite being widowed at a young age, his mother managed the familys mail-order pharmaceutical business and sold it to a large retail conglomerate. Home Depot co-founders pictured in 1979, a year after the first store opened. So that's really what it was about. And I think we got disconnected. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. And Ambassador Young, another good friend would say the same thing. So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together. "It's not a red issue or a blue issue, it's about how you treat people, whether it be guests, fans, customers, associates, or shareholders in the case with HD," said Blank, whose Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has granted over $800 million to help underserved people across the nation. Nationality: United States Executive summary: Co-Founder of Home Depot. And he had to mop the floors for weeks and months on end. 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. Ticket pricing was higher than it could have been or should have been at that time, and so I brought Dick Sullivan over from Home Depot, the gentleman who now runs our PGA Superstores and we came up with a strategy that we've got to sell season's tickets for $100. If you don't make good choices, you can end up being in really bad places. I am, in a certain sense. But, you know, I needed to change my view on what I could give back and how it could be connected to other people.. One of the robbers tied me up in the bathroom, the bathtub, and I said a few things to him, which, at 10 years old, I don't think my mother even knew I knew those words. Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. And I remember him looking at me saying, If I told your mother what you just said, she would wash your mouth out with soap. But that was the last thing I said. The 79-year-old philanthropist has supported educational projects to promote civil rights and racial justice.

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