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. 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. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. It starts with respect. One where guys like the Vikings Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. The stadium boasts roughly 4,000 solar panels and will use 70 percent less energy. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. The pair always strove to create a work environment that put people before politics, said Blank. ,> U#kw1%dHT6qZq]9Ki o 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. I said, Paul? February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. 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. They all live life with purpose. GALEO engages in advocacy, creates opportunities for engagement and networking, and develops leadership skills for Latino community members. Copyright 2023 InfluenceWatch. And it was early on a Sunday morning. Michael Vicks published letter, Atlanta, nearly made a whole city cry on the eve of the Super Bowl. So in this case, we were coming back from a game after the team had played in St. Louis against the old St. Louis Rams theyre now in L.A. and instead of riding in the front of the plane with the coaches and managers, I sat in the back with the players. 1 0 obj He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. 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]. 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. >> /Length 7 0 R America has long struggled to deliver a fair and equitable democracy to all of its citizens. You can do whatever you choose to do. And at the top of that is who is being served comes first. In his new book, Good Company, Blank follows his own success to show that purpose and profit can and should coexist. 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. One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. Hopefully we'll get back in the playoffs, but not as well as the first three years. I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. But Its All Too Familiar. The statement came about five days after Gov. How best to put it? They all have a great set of eyes and they're all different. I said, Look, I'm going to be a new owner, tell me what I can do to help. Weve never won a Super Bowl, and this years loss in Super Bowl LI was especially hard to take. The Home Depot co-founder, Arthur Blank, candidly shares details of an impromptu meeting in an airport hangar when he was asked to step down, the company's short-term mistake of replacing him. Were trying to do the exact opposite of that.. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. A protest has purpose. ATLANTA Protests over the death of George Floyd have been gaining national attention. Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. They all have a great set of values. If you don't make good choices, you can end up being in really bad places. One where guys like the Vikings' Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. /SA true Blank's statement did not specify any initiatives or call any elected officials or political parties by name. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. ATLANTA - Falcons team owner Arthur Blank has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team's final game of the regular season. "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. We must not accept or condone violence in any way. A study by ESPN and FiveThirtyEight in October 2020 showed Blank is a bipartisan contributor to political campaignsbut contributed more to Democratic candidates from 2012 to 2020. 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. 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. Student Loan Forgiveness and The Ghost of John Kline, (Who?). Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV, Ive got a lot of love and respect for police officers., We dont want to see Targets burning. 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. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. I mean, it wasn't like, You're Republican or Democrat. And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. /ca 1.0 Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with businessman Arthur Blank about gun regulation and philanthropy. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images), WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), >> Go home. /CA 1.0 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. With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? 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. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. 8 . 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. The ones in Atlanta on Friday started off peaceful but later turned into violent demonstrations and looting of local businesses. He's committed to his wife now, his children. Blank donated another $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. 5 Other Blank family businesses include the nationwide PGA TOUR Superstore as well as a handful of ranches across the country. So that was a low price a lower price than before Michael Vick the star quarterback was born 22 years before that. In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. "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. my patience level probably is not the level it would have to be to sustain myself in this political atmosphere today. 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. It's a beautiful thing. Paul, are you OK? I was going to call his secretary, thinking Paul got a heart attack or something. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL. 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. However, peaceful protests really go back and look at the history of our country back to the Boston Tea Party. 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. 17. 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. But I would keep raising my hand. 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. 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. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. 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. 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. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" 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. endobj 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. "I know Bernie's heart. I stayed in touch with him to some degree when he was in prison. It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. For more information about Life Itself, visit the . Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!! 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. 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. << Peaceful protests of the past have led to new ways forward. All of which is, yknow, really classy stuff. "His approach obviously is different. 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. We Present You Trumps Deposition, More or Less Verbatim. Paul, are you there? !, And listen to me, be careful where you are getting your information to JOIN protests!! By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. The Braves leaving town also represented an end to the multicultural hub in the heart of the city that was forged by those Olympics. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. 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. I understand that, but I respect it," said Blank. The views expressed here are the authors' alone, not necessarily the views of their clients, employers or families. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. 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. 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. But what, I ask, would be the effect of a dozen or so top current and former stars, coaches and league executives stepping up to a camera and telling pro footballs millions (and millions) of fans to get vaccinated for the sake of other people like the season ticket holders sitting next to them if not themselves? GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. 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. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. 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. These are the kinds of people we need in leadership today, not thinking about red, blue, purple. 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. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. 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/. How could Trump possibly have lost re-election? RELATED:Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid'. Born on September 27, 1942, Blank owns the Atlanta, Georgia sports teams - the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of the MLS. This is not the legacy of civil rights in America. They all understand it's, you know, you have an opportunity to be here on Earth and how do you want to leave it? 4 0 obj Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. 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. His faith is very strong. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. We believe the right to vote is sacred and should be protected, so that we can have an active and engaged citizenry that participates in our democracy year-round, not just during presidential election cycles. 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. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. /Title ( A r t h u r b l a n k p o l i t i c s) One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. So I would just cut him some slack. 6 0 obj 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. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. I would suggest, for anybody in business, that you listen to who you're serving. We had the option of going to a variety of companies, doing a variety of things in a traditional sense of management leadership. Arthur blank politics The largest donation made to a political party by an Atlanta Falcons employee was by Arthur Blank. 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. 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. 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, Another Home Depot cofounder, Bernie Marcus, is an. Now, there's no place for violent protest. 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. Despite being widowed at a young age, his mother managed the familys mail-order pharmaceutical business and sold it to a large retail conglomerate. It's the customers. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. This is chaos. stream 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. Seventy-threethousand stood up and clapped, gave him a great hand. Our frontline associates and all those businesses come next. This is not a protest. [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. Expand. All Rights Reserved. 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. Blank retired from the company in 2001 as co-chairman.
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