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. When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. And the core values that our forefathers drafted for us they weren't perfect, either, but in their own ways, they strove for those things. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. << /Title ( A r t h u r b l a n k p o l i t i c s) I look at my six children, Batch 1, Batch 2, and, you know, they go from age 19 to age 52, if I have it right. . And I think this should be addressed out of respect and out of listening.". !, Do not fall for this foolishness!!! Hes a combination of father and brother to me. CEIR works to build voter trust and confidence, increase voter participation and improve the efficiency of election administration. Georgia Politics FOX 5 Atlanta ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday afternoon he believes voting should be made "easier, not harder for every eligible. 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. For the last two decades, sports have united this largely racially divided city, and partially due to the actions of the Hawks and the Braves, the Falcons could ill-afford to have a stadium plan that was not only racially inclusive, but also worked to incorporate the surrounding community. that those rights were not being fully reflected in our society today. They want to have a home-field advantage. Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. Its appalling how heavily-to-tightly-managed entities, especially those controlled by a small cluster of well-heeled egos turn into shuddering eunuchs at the thought of riling just an ugly faction of its consumer base. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. Blank donated another $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Give them hope. 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. Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games . Scott Jensens Dramatic Fall Shows Ads Still Matter. meathead) culture inside the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. Both John Lewis John, just a month before he passed away and Andy Young have said to me that we do have to recognize that things are better than they used to be. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. Minnesota Legislature, What Are You Chewing? GPB intern Eva Rothenberg contributed to this article. Our frontline associates and all those businesses come next. 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. GALEO engages in advocacy, creates opportunities for engagement and networking, and develops leadership skills for Latino community members. Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. 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. But you want your core values to be the same, ideally. Were usually very happy to talk, very happy to share our opinions and what have you I have enough humility to understand that the people were serving know better. Blank's statement did not specify any initiatives or call any elected officials or political parties by name. Blank and Marcus put their discounting experiment to the test in their own brand of warehouse stores called Home Depot and opened the first two Atlanta-area stores in 1979. Why Should Tim Walz Even Bother Debating Scott Jensen? Born on September 27, 1942, Blank owns the Atlanta, Georgia sports teams - the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of the MLS. Blank who grew up in New York City said he believes the US is going through one of the most tumultuous times in its history. But Id like to say to CNN right now: Karmas a mother. But there was nothing I could say better than what Mayor @KeishaBottoms said last night! Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. So it was good. Sign up for notifications from Insider! And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". Liz Cheney Aint Going Nowhere in This Republican Party, Jensens Abortion Ban Promises Come Back to Haunt Him, Thanks to Oppo. The largest donor was Falcons owner Arthur Blank. And, you know, you see the blending of every type of person and personality you can imagine. It's a beautiful thing. We don't have any fans in our building, and this is what we plan on doing: We're going to, you know, promote season tickets for 100 bucks or $10 a ticket. And I remember waiting for, you know, probably two minutes. I felt and others felt that we could be successful here. Walz Cooperation With Law Enforcement Deserves Praise, Not Punishment, If You Think Republicans Cant Ban Abortion in Minnesota, Look No Further than Iowa, Russia, Ukraine and My Seven Months with YouTube. Paul, are you OK? I was going to call his secretary, thinking Paul got a heart attack or something. Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. It starts with respect. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. Theres at least one more level to the Jon Gruden disaster that NFL fans should consider about the leagues remarkable influence. If you sit in your homes instead of burning your home to the ground, you will have time to properly plot, plan, strategize and organize and mobilize in effective ways., Two of the most effective ways is first taking your butt to the computer and making sure you fill out your census so that people know who you are and where you are. But he did. Why Is Doc Jensen Still So Obsessed With His Long-Disproven COVID Claims? It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. I still remember this as if it was yesterday. And part of that is reducing our environmental impact.. Blank told Business Insider that despite their differences, running a company is "not a red issue or a blue issue" and is instead about sharing the same values. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. 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. But the two subsequent CEOs the gentleman there today, Craig Minear, the CEO and president Ted Decker both live the culture. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle. So I would just cut him some slack. So I think that part of that comes out of really being a good listener and responding to what you're hearing and trying to find a way to make things work for the benefit of everybody collaboratively. That was in 1979. They're a PR's dream because they rarely say the wrong thing. In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. They all have a great set of values. We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. And they found ways to get things done with people who had a little bit a different view but found that commonality that was really important. We must not accept or condone violence in any way. On Thursday, Falcons owner Arthur Blank's foundation donated a five-year, $17 million grant to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. Soccer fans don't want to feel like they go into a stadium and they're a second-class citizen citizen. He and an associate, Bernie Marcus, began experimenting with product discounts in one Handy Dan outlet and observed positive effects of decreasing costs as a percentage of sales and an increase in customer volume. We hold all the records. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". Those come first. So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing. Think about How do I listen to the people that are actually trying to serve and how do we put results in place that would give them the very best chance for equality and for success and for fair treatment? And I think we have to strive more for that. The statement came about five days after Gov. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. There was a six-year period in there, when things went a little south. Proceeds from sales of Good Companygo to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. One was in pricing. Scott Jensens Unanswered $15,000,000,000 Question. So everything is designed to accommodate the soccer fans so they feel like this is their place as a result of that. That is the change we need in this country.". endobj The family foundation has already invested over $20 million into the surrounding community. Please stop the violence!, Im not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! The Number of White Teachers About to Get Fired is Exactly Zero. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. Were trying to do the exact opposite of that.. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. His faith is very strong. And I love him. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. And I know he considers the blessings that we had coming from Home Depot [and what its done] for all of our philanthropy today and all of our businesses today to be something that we're very thankful for. 1 2 . Thats great. 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. 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. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. I mean, it doesn't make a difference how old you are. ,> U#kw1%dHT6qZq]9Ki o He details the inception and rapid success of Atlanta United, and responding to the NFL protests that began in 2016. The portfolio includes nearly $10 million in grants to 12 nonprofits that represent a diverse set of organizations with a strong presence in Georgia and the Southeast. 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. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and . So thats Gruden. So that was a low price a lower price than before Michael Vick the star quarterback was born 22 years before that. Full statement from Arthur Blank: https://t.co/1lU870TGWa pic.twitter.com/0qejiahKKY, Please, please stop this violence!! Playoffs, playoff championships, etc. So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. A co-founder of Home Depot increased his giving for children in the pandemic because, he said, "they don't always have the tools to deal with what's happened to them.". /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB Its also part memoir of how his ethics evolved from watching his father run a neighborhood pharmacy in Queens, New York, to launching multi-billion dollar ventures. Left to right: Dennis Ross, Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, Pat Farrah, Ron Brill. They said it would take an act of courage on your part to go out on the field and and to be recognized. And, you know, people stood up! His is another example of how well powerful systems, in this case, the almighty NFL, can throw a PR cocoon around people and project to the public only the parts of its culture that serve its business interests until they dont. Blank is a dedicated Democratic supporter, having donated thousands to Hillary Clinton's campaign, the Bullock Victory Fund, which backs the party's 2020 candidate for Montana senator, Gov. 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. America has long struggled to deliver a fair and equitable democracy to all of its citizens. And being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. But staying in the city and trying to work with the community definitely beats the usual stadium construction scam and unwanted racial division that has become far too common in sports today. Currently, over 200 Westside residents are working on the stadiums construction and the foundation has funded, among other things, Westside Works to help residents find employment and learn job training skills. After stepping down as CEO of Home Depot in the early 2000s, Blanks interests centered on a variety of Atlanta-based sports franchises and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, a private foundation that has awarded over $560 million. He released a statement five days after Gov. Arthur Blank, owner of Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, co-founder of Home Depot . Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. A company where we already know from law suits the teams executives treated its cheerleaders like Vegas escorts and, yup, traded nudie pictures of them changing outfits. 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. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. And they love that. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. The next thing is making sure you exercise your political bully power and going to local elections and beating up the politicians you dont like., It is time to beat up prosecutors you dont like at the voting booth. /ca 1.0 Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. "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. But COVID vaccination, as a consequence of being made political by belligerent partisans, many of whom love football more than life itself, is terrifying territory for the NFL. But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. Weve never won a Super Bowl, and this years loss in Super Bowl LI was especially hard to take. So, then we opened up The Home Depot. "Obviously, it's a tragic time in the history of the. The foundation is . And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners. stream 9. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. 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. In order to put this grinding pandemic behind us once and for all? The Arthur M. Blank Foundation announced on Wednesday a new series of grants focusing on mental health and well-being in response to America's growing mental health crisis. But We Aint Seen Nuthin Yet. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. 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. Organizations also called to move The Masters, which begins April 8. /Height 155 So there wasn't a word on the other end of the phone. 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. By Bob Bahr October 12, 2021, 5:48 pm. This is chaos and were buying into it. Do it in November. And I think we got disconnected. I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. The NFL could and should be a leader among other giant corporations in taking stark stands against belligerent stupidity like racism (which it is sort of good at in a lipservice/signage kind of way, considering 70% of its players are black) and sexism (where it has a long ways to go, despite promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pink shoes), but also right now for wait for it COVID vaccinations. Opponents of the bill argue it's too restrictive and targets minority voters. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. He owns the team, after all. /SM 0.02 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. And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. But we both said, you know, if we ever had to compete with Handy Dan that was the most successful conventional chain of home improvement center stores in the country at that time it would be with a large, no frills, downmarket store. And he should know. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz They were trying to indicate that what the military had fought for these rights, the civil rights, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. ", CNN -- Ted [Turner] did a great thing. Show up at the polls on June 9. People are scared and in pain. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located adjacent to the Falcons current home, the Georgia Dome, in Atlantas Westside. I seriously doubt the leagues TV ratings or ad revenue would suffer an iota. Fernandez says that they intend to use the stadium as an anchoring institution, and that the number one thing people in the community said they wanted are jobs. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid', study by ESPN and FiveThirtyEight in October 2020, too restrictive and targets minority voters, Cobb leader says moving MLB All-Star game in protest would hurt business, Democrats dispute police report in Georgia lawmakers arrest, Civil rights groups file new lawsuit over Georgia voting law, Photos show rescue of Woodstock man 'buried up to his neck' in collapsed trench, Frederick, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of US-15, Sheriff's office continues five-year-long search for missing Carrollton man, Georgia baby girl reported missing with man diagnosed with mental illness, police say, Jesse Wilson: Adoptive mother arrested in boy's death in Arizona, Clayton County twin sisters make history rising the ranks in Georgia UPS facility, Alex Murdaugh killed wife, son to buy time, prosecutor says, UGA football star Jalen Carter facing charges in fatal crash: What we know, Young Thug trial: Judge orders probe of leaked evidence, Families intensify search for two men missing for more than a week. Paul, are you there? The Atlanta Falcons new stadium is going to be beautiful. j"[p!d~oB?1].drwe GM]/v2q3^u[\ /. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. Who knows how successful theyll be, and many residents worry that economic growth could facilitate gentrification. Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. We had a different leader [Robert Nardelli ] in place that was eventually replaced. 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. In that way, I don't think my personality, probably, or my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. The league has recently been running in-game PSAs pushing cancer and mental health awareness screenings, etc. Peaceful protests of the past have led to new ways forward. Can We Please Kill Off the Tipping Mumbo-Jumbo? And to be sure, Atlanta is better than what we saw in the actions of a few last night. The Braves leaving town also represented an end to the multicultural hub in the heart of the city that was forged by those Olympics. In a statement released on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Twitter account, attributed to Blank, he said Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation leadership conveyed his sentiment directly to state officials in recent weeks. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. In the 1940sGeorgia mountains, eight children were taken into the woods and left to die. I had another NFL player, while [Vick] was in prison, come visit me and say I came from exactly the same neighborhood, but it was in a part of Pittsburgh. So sadly, Michael was raised in an environment where that was kind of normal behavior, if you will. "He cares deeply about giving back and making a difference in people's lives. All those 25,000 tickets were gone. We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? My suspicion is that while Dungy and Tirico and dozens if not hundreds of other NFL leaders may have been surprised by Grudens racist imagery, they arent as unfamiliar with his other boys club stupidity. Arthur Blank is firmly in Joe Biden's corner. "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. Georgia businessman Arthur Blank joins with voting groups on Democracy Class Atlanta The Jolt: Arthur Blank teams with voting groups to forge 'Democracy Class Atlanta' Caption Credit:. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Arthur%2BBlank&contributor_employer=The%2BArthur&two_year_transaction_period=2016&contributor_state=GA, https://www.ajc.com/news/local/molly-blank-strong-widow-grew-successful-business-sons/JMYrzmcGsGc4nXD58rqltJ/, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197614, https://corporate.homedepot.com/sites/default/themes/thd/images/timeline/History-Of-The-Home-Depot.pdf, https://www.forbes.com/profile/arthur-blank/?sh=ae7b330749c3, https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/front-office-roster/arthur-blank, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/arthur-m-blank/, https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/statement-from-arthur-blank-on-georgia-voting-rights, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/11/companies-voting-bills-states/, https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/arthur-blank-wife-angela-are-getting-a-divorce/897352464/, https://saportareport.com/a-longtime-anonymous-donor-reveals-her-identity/sections/abcarticles/maria_saporta/, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/dena-kimball/, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/kenny-blank/. But tell me what I can do to help? And they said, Well, you know, the reality is about 40% of our stadium is empty. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. What Does Hamline Not Understand About Academic Freedom? 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]. 13 Diana is a left-of-center philanthropist based in Atlanta and anonymously contributed several high-profile donations in the area including a $4 million gift to the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra as well as a nearly $20 million gift to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta.