Enter your email address to be notified about new posts. 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. One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. And so he's used that time since he got out of prison and giving back to community, speaking to young people. 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. 2, In the late 1970s, Arthur Blank was an officer at Handy Dan, a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. Weve never won a Super Bowl, and this years loss in Super Bowl LI was especially hard to take. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" And myself, if you will, I'm at the very bottom of the pyramid as a servant leader and somebody who is there to provide leadership, but also provide whatever that needs to be done for us to be successful. Friday on Political Rewind: Mary Rodgers grew up among some of Broadway's biggest names, from Sondheim to Bernstein. 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. February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. 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. It starts with respect. His faith is very strong. They survived. I want you to talk to 10 of your friends. And I love him. Hes a combination of father and brother to me. /SM 0.02 The Falcons leadership knows how to play politics. And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. This is not a good way to make a living. The statement came about five days after Gov. It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. The Falcons were the first pro football team in the South, founded during the civil rights era in 1965. I concede, as others who know him personally have, that Im stunned that a guy like Gruden who has been a high-profile media/cultural presence for over 20 years, regularly giving live interviews, chewing up air time as a TV analyst and obliging all the other requests for personal contact that go with being a football celebritry could conceal his essential meat-headedness so long and so well. How do you help repair the world if we can use that expression? Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. He's committed to his wife now, his children. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. Over the next two years (2021-2023), we will create an inclusive relationship with and among these grantees to share ideas, best practices, lessons and challenges. He owns the team, after all. Over the past week, figures around the NFL have
Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. 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 listen to me, be careful where you are getting your information to JOIN protests!! And being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. So, long story short, I think, is that we should recognize the past, understand the progress we have made. 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%. But its the NFL itself that should be held to greater account and responsibility than it ever is. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br /CA 1.0 Then I would not be bashful about asking questions. A reckless high-profile meathead, now out the $60 million remaining on his contract. Through their work, we envision a social movement in which communities of color are fully empowered, active in civic life, and working together to promote equity, fair treatment, and self determination for all. 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. I was gagged. A protest has purpose. So the answer would be yes. In a time when more than half of Americans are dissatisfied with the state of our democracy, the most powerful way to demonstrate and have our voices heard is through the vote. /Producer ( Q t 4 . (Confidentiality, you know.) Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. Student Loan Forgiveness and The Ghost of John Kline, (Who?). Nationality: United States Executive summary: Co-Founder of Home Depot. Paul, are you there? He released a statement five days after Gov. Scott Jensens Unanswered $15,000,000,000 Question. Hey, Senate DFLers, Dont Forget The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact! Arthur Blank talks sensible gun reform. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. A documentary surrounding Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian's surrogacy journey is set to air on RT on March 13. 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. They want to have a home-field advantage. The Falcons owner, Arthur Blank, the co-founder of Home Depot with a net worth of $3 billion, at first glance certainly fits the bill of your standard billionaire athletic team owner. GPB intern Eva Rothenberg contributed to this article. Brian Kemp signed the controversial bill, which includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run. Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!! Arthur Blank is an American entrepreneur and a co-owner of the home improvement retail giant The Home Depot. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) Stop making people feel so fearful. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. This must happen more than every four years, because theres no offseason for democracy. 7) We are better than this We are better than this as a country. Here, using insidegov.com's database, are the disclosed political donations* for majority NFL owners dating back to the 2008 election. 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. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. In recent years Atlantas sports teams have attracted controversies that have highlighted the racial disparities that still largely define the city. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. 1 0 obj 6 0 obj Organizations also called to move The Masters, which begins April 8. So, then we opened up The Home Depot. So I would fight for that and surround myself with people who believe the same thing, because you have to have that brain power in every institution or corporation or nonprofit. This is not the legacy of civil rights in America. 4 0 obj 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. That is the change we need in this country.". 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. So we spent six months maybe talking to fans, or people that were not fans, but were, you know, living in the Atlanta area at that time, and we found out that there were four or five things we had to fix. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. In total, they anticipate hosting each year 40 to 50 big events and an additional 100 to 200 small events in the neighboring park that will be built where the Georgia Dome currently resides. We want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burned to the ground. And that's one of our core values as well: Include everybody. You know, better than in the 40s and 50s, but not where we should be. 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. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. Also watchRISING UP: A Westside Story,a documentary film by David Lewis Productions that gives viewers a detailed look into the ideation, construction, and impact of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the city of Atlanta. However, many Americans are still being denied access to their vote and their ability to fully participate in our democracy. ,> U#kw1%dHT6qZq]9Ki o 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. So we had 35, 40 players kneeling before that, after that speech, we had close to 300 players kneeling because they took it personally and their families took it personally and their parents and their siblings and their grandparents and their heritage was being challenged. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. One where guys like the Vikings' Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. So you take your time, you get the words out and people will listen to you. So I think that from those days in college where I raised my hand and I know my buddies around the class would think, Oh, boy, here goes another 5-minute answer, you know? Players and coaches appear giving quick testimonials. He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. 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. Despite being widowed at a young age, his mother managed the familys mail-order pharmaceutical business and sold it to a large retail conglomerate. 2023 Cox Media Group. So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing. 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. /Length 7 0 R So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. 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. 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. The book lays out a set of values that guided him to turn around the struggling Atlanta Falcons NFL team, launch the Atlanta United FC soccer club and build the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He's done a lot of work in terms of animal rights, which has been great and been appreciated by all of those agencies and all those institutions. 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. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". ~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
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]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? All those 25,000 tickets were gone. Arthur Blank on NFL kneelers: 'Players have no interest in being disrespectful to flag' Political Insider By Jim Galloway, Political Insider Trump is apparently referencing a highly sourced. You know, dig in [your] heels and it becomes, "My territory, your territory," etc. One where guys like the Vikings Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts. In 1978, they co-founded the home-improvement retailer The Home Depot, with the help of merchandising expert Pat Farrah and New York investment banker Ken Langone who assembled a group of investors. When you burn down this city, youre burning down our community., If you want change in America, go and register to vote. /Height 155 GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. 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. Arthur Blank greets a crowd of cheering Atlanta United fans in 2017. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. Brian Kemp signed SB 202 into law. 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 . I would suggest, for anybody in business, that you listen to who you're serving. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Not about dogfighting. He shares how he and Bernie Marcus were brusquely fired from executive positions at Handy Dan Home Improvement Stores the humiliating inflection point that led the pair to create The Home Depot. 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, you know, I think the word civility is terribly important today in the political world in which we just don't see it the way we need to see it. By Bob Bahr October 12, 2021, 5:48 pm. Now it's ranked like seventh. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images). 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. Our democracy is made stronger when we hear from all Americans on the issues of our day whether they be national or local. He came out of the prison system as a changed person for the positive, not for the negative. But, you know, I needed to change my view on what I could give back and how it could be connected to other people.. Her father was one half of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Your support makes this possible. Seventy-threethousand stood up and clapped, gave him a great hand. And at the top of that is who is being served comes first. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday afternoon he believes voting should be made "easier, not harder for every eligible citizen" and his business and non-profit partners plan to support efforts to advance voting access. . /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB 5) Since then, they have re-organized their focus areas more specifically into four groups: policy advocacy, organizing and civic engagement, impact litigation, and legal services. 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. That Vote for Secretary of State? The league has recently been running in-game PSAs pushing cancer and mental health awareness screenings, etc. And the great political leaders in the past, they were civil and they were good listeners. And if all goes to plan, its also going to help a depressed community thats heard big talk before. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. I understand that, but I respect it," said Blank. The Atlanta Falcons new stadium is going to be beautiful. MATTIE'S CALL: A 9-month-old baby girl was reported missing from the Ellenwood area with a man police say was diagnosed with a mental illness. And they love the camaraderie. And they've worked collectively for the United States, for everybody in this country, 330 million people. I mean, people were throwing tea off those boats because they were protesting, you know. But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. Scott Jensens Dramatic Fall Shows Ads Still Matter. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. 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. 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. We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. He had three children with his first wife Diana Blank, whom he divorced in 1993. The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) mission is to ensure elections are secure, voters have confidence in election outcomes and democracy thrives as civic engagement grows. . 8 . 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. 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 he was. American professional sports owners have contributed nearly $47 million in federal elections since 2015, according to research by ESPN in partnership with FiveThirtyEight, including $10 million. Team owner Arthur Blank, who has high expectations for the franchise, sat down with FOX 5 Atlanta one-on-one to talk football, philanthropy, and Kanye West. 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. "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. What Does Hamline Not Understand About Academic Freedom? Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. I am, in a certain sense. 260 14th St. NW 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. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. 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. It's hard to believe. The pair always strove to create a work environment that put people before politics, said Blank. During the 2020 elections, Blank contributed $300,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, $35,000 to the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of dollars to state Democratic Party committees. stream [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. 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. A number of events over the last couple of weeks have reminded us again that the long, worthy quest for equal justice, civility and unity in America is far from over. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change. Which country do you come from? He said, All of that really gave me time not only for redemption, but more importantly, for reflection. And he said, I really realized that I had done a lot of good things in my life putting aside and playing ball.