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. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) In order to put this grinding pandemic behind us once and for all? And somebody knocked on the door. He had three children with his first wife Diana Blank, whom he divorced in 1993. We've broken every season ticket record per game. RELATED:Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid'. 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. 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Marcus has been an outspoken Donald Trump devotee throughout both the 2016 and 2020 elections, donating $7 million to Trump's campaign four years ago. But, you know, I needed to change my view on what I could give back and how it could be connected to other people.. 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. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. I listen to what he says and sometimes I'll cringe. 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. !, Do not fall for this foolishness!!! . I'll flip words around, you know, subconsciously and, and make sentences complete. So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing. "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. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. 5) This is not a good way to make a living. /BitsPerComponent 8 Pictured is the famous napkin deal that sealed Arthur Blanks agreement with Taylor Smith to purchase the Atlanta Falcons for $545 million in 2001. So it was a great story and is a great story. We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. Home Depot co-founders pictured in 1979, a year after the first store opened. Our democracy is made stronger when we hear from all Americans on the issues of our day whether they be national or local. A reckless high-profile meathead, now out the $60 million remaining on his contract. February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. All of us as human beings, I think need to do a much better job of being a good listener. Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. Theres at least one more level to the Jon Gruden disaster that NFL fans should consider about the leagues remarkable influence. It starts with respect. 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. Show up at the polls on June 9. ", CNN -- Ted [Turner] did a great thing. And he should know. /CA 1.0 Copyright 2023 InfluenceWatch. Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. How could Trump possibly have lost re-election? 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. We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. We hold all the records. !, And listen to me, be careful where you are getting your information to JOIN protests!! 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. Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. And, you know, you see the blending of every type of person and personality you can imagine. 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. As I've said, 95% of my estate is going to be recycled back through our foundations and they will provide their insights and their leadership and their views and values that their father and their mothers would be very proud of. 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. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br 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. Bernardo Little . I said, Look, I'm going to be a new owner, tell me what I can do to help. The 79-year-old co-founder of Atlanta-based The Home Depot . Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. The NFL owners club is a remarkable collection of avaricious gargoyles. He and his brother, Michael, were raised in a one-bedroom apartment. And he had to mop the floors for weeks and months on end. 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. 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. Of the other 60% who do come, half are rooting for the other team. So I understood what they were saying: They just wanted support noise. 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. By Bob Bahr October 12, 2021, 5:48 pm. And that's one of our core values as well: Include everybody. 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. Seventy percent of the players in the NFL are African American a disproportionate number. Her father was one half of Rodgers and Hammerstein. "I know Bernie's heart. And that's an example of the happiness that we're talking about. This isnt just a short-cut, this is a long-term play with significant input and investment into the community and its future, said Scott Jenkins, the general manager of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, to The Daily Beast. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. It's an inverted pyramid that speaks to our whole orientation and all of our businesses today. endobj In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. I've always believed that the circumstances around me might change, but these core values, which we discuss in the book, they're not mine, they really belong to all of us. I still remember this as if it was yesterday. How? But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. (To his enormous credit, Leibovich burned up all the access his name and the Times brand afforded him to tell a story the average sports writer only dares hint at.) Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta is the first nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities in Georgia and the Southeast. I mean, it wasn't like, You're Republican or Democrat. Who knows how successful theyll be, and many residents worry that economic growth could facilitate gentrification. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. Another Home. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. The Falcons were the first pro football team in the South, founded during the civil rights era in 1965. And he recently gave $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden, Forbes reported. So the answer would be yes. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. His daughter Dena is the executive director of the Kendeda Fund, a left-of-center private foundation founded by her mother, Diana Blank. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. The Falcons leadership knows how to play politics. No. He details the inception and rapid success of Atlanta United, and responding to the NFL protests that began in 2016. It's hard to believe. Shrinking from conflict over something as valid, real and life-protecting as a vaccine is not what Id call, manly, brave, courageous or patriotic. The guest. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. Blank told Business Insider that despite their political differences, their different leanings never got in the way of their ability to work together as partners or as friends. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. 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. 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. And in fact, one of her famous expressions was: You do the right things for the right reasons and live with the consequences of them. And I'm trying to build that into my life as well. 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. I mean, it doesn't make a difference how old you are. Stop making people feel so fearful. For years, Americans have fallen prey to the con of wealthy businessmen who want to build shiny new sports arenas yet dont want to pay for them. 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. A protest has purpose. GPB intern Eva Rothenberg contributed to this article. That is the change we need in this country.". He came out of the prison system as a changed person for the positive, not for the negative. But you want your core values to be the same, ideally. 16 Blanks son, Kenny Blank, also sits on the foundations board and is the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. The Georgia Dome was also built for the Olympics, and construction for Philips Arenathe Hawks home, which sits next door to the Dome and where the previous basketball arena, the Omni Colosseum, once satbegan in 1997. 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. I do know it is hard. 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. 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. And we've had a very successful team for the first threeand-a-half years this year. 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. 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. So when we started, MLS was ranked like 22nd among all the leagues in the world. The 79-year-old philanthropist has supported educational projects to promote civil rights and racial justice. /SMask /None>> 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. Not about dogfighting. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! 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. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. Blank, who is Jewish, also addressed the administration's failure to recognize the losses suffered by the Jewish people during the Holocaust. And at the top of that is who is being served comes first. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. 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. 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. I have what's called a veil state, or I am a stutterer. Can We Please Kill Off the Tipping Mumbo-Jumbo? authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. 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. You know, better than in the 40s and 50s, but not where we should be. 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. 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. 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 Handful of Things I Could Not Care Less About, Matt Birk: Rape Victims Are Playing the Rape Card?, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? Give them hope. Soccer fans don't want to feel like they go into a stadium and they're a second-class citizen citizen. Scott Jensens Unanswered $15,000,000,000 Question. Enter your email address to be notified about new posts. Support more understanding and be better listeners trying to see how the other people, you know, try to stand in the footsteps of others. I am, in a certain sense. I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. They all have a great set of values. They all understand it's, you know, you have an opportunity to be here on Earth and how do you want to leave it? I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Wednesday he is encouraged by the progress of quarterback Desmond Ridder and the potential of building around the rookie. Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. "He cares deeply about giving back and making a difference in people's lives. One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. Blank allowed the previous front office to make shortsighted moves that still are costing the. "I think one of the things that is wrong with America today that we can work on and become better at is that we need to become better listeners to each other and we need to be better about understanding where people are coming from," Blank said. . /Length 7 0 R I've had conversations with a number of senators who made it very clear that some of their best friends, both politically and otherwise, are on the other side of the aisle. So I would just cut him some slack. Now it's ranked like seventh. 2023 Cox Media Group. my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. 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. 1 2 . If executed improperly, this stadium could continue a long line of broken promises for this blighted community. Like many other enormous corporations the NFL, selling a slick, bristling mix of testosterone and patriotism, ducks away from anything with a whiff of political conflict. They were trying to indicate that what the military had fought for these rights, the civil rights, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. 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. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. You know, dig in [your] heels and it becomes, "My territory, your territory," etc. I have many friends who are no longer fervent Braves supporters. Hopefully we'll get back in the playoffs, but not as well as the first three years. 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. << 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. I mean, I was stuttering when I was senior class president, [and in] student government. That origin story is well known in business and retail circles as an example of how bold, disruptive thinking can change the game, but Good Company provides a more personal view. One was in pricing. Your support makes this possible. They survived. He released a statement five days after Gov. 1 0 obj The couple filed for divorce in 2013. The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. Bernie has great values and Bernie cares deeply not only about our faith, but about giving back. 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. 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. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. /Producer ( Q t 4 . I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. But I would keep raising my hand. However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. In recent years Atlantas sports teams have attracted controversies that have highlighted the racial disparities that still largely define the city. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 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. You need to figure out something else to do for the rest of your life. And after a while, he said, Would you please shut up? And she never did. We had a different leader [Robert Nardelli ] in place that was eventually replaced. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. Arthur is committed to changing the narrative around sports stadiums, said Frank Fernandez, the VP of Community Development at The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, to The Daily Beast. /Filter /DCTDecode What I Learned Over One Cup of Coffee Yesterday Morning, You Want to Laugh at Liz Truss and The Brits. 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. "His approach obviously is different. But he was there and he finally said, Listen, you own the franchise, you have the option. "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. 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 thus far Blank and those connected to the stadium appear committed to using this opportunity as one to enhance and not exploit this community. 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. Arthur Blank is an American entrepreneur and a co-owner of the home improvement retail giant The Home Depot. At the time, Atlanta liked to call itself The City Too Busy to Hate, but as more African Americans moved to the city the moniker shifted to The City Too Busy Moving to Hate, as more white Atlantans escaped the city to the northern suburbs. 260 14th St. NW The Atlanta Falcons new stadium is going to be beautiful. 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. 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. 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. 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. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". So, I think the great political leaders and the great spiritual leaders, in my view, have always, always opened up their arms and included everybody. 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. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and citizens alike who understand that diversity is our strength and fair treatment is everyones right. 3, By 1981, Home Depots stock went public and raised over $4 million. stream We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. And being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. By all accounts, those associated with the new stadium and the Westside view their presence as at least a 10-20 year commitment toward revitalizing a downtrodden community and bringing the city together. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. The documentary will premiere exclusively Nov. 23, 2020 at 8 p.m.on Georgia Public Broadcasting. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. "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 Fall 2021, we launched our new Democracy program area with $10 million in grants designed to strengthen key democracy organizations to be resilient for the long haul of this work. However, many Americans are still being denied access to their vote and their ability to fully participate in our democracy. Stay up to date with what you want to know. 9, Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. I stayed in touch with him to some degree when he was in prison. But he did. And they've worked collectively for the United States, for everybody in this country, 330 million people. Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!!! 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. Did the Vikings and NFL Just Blacklist Another Left-Leaning Player? So it was good. And part of that is reducing our environmental impact.. Owner, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. 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. The Athletic's Felipe Crdenas joined Georgia Public Broadcasting's Orlando Montoya tohelp breakdown what fans can expect this year on and off the field. He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. 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)
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