Soon after, Blank met his third wife Angela Macuga whom he married in 2016 and later announced their plans to divorce in 2019. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. Virginia Prescott is theGracie Award-winning host of On Second Thought for Georgia Public Broadcasting. Big Game by New York Times Magazine writer Mark Leibovich, BLM Has Achieved Much More Than Its Critics. "I know Bernie's heart. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) Over the past week, figures around the NFL have 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. I understand that, but I respect it," said Blank. And I told him before, You get in a convertible and drive around the field and Michael, there are 73,000 people in the building. 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. So everything is designed to accommodate the soccer fans so they feel like this is their place as a result of that. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. Players and coaches appear giving quick testimonials. 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. Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. 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. Porn Star Pay Offs, Inciting Insurrection, Sexual Assaults, Bank Fraud, Election Conspiracy and FoxNews v. Dominion. Hes a combination of father and brother to me. It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. JFIF K K C Which country do you come from? Another Home. 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, we really could not have done it without great service, great pricing, and great product knowledge. There are people and other countries who are posting things pretending to be US, pretending to stand for peaceful protest, but they are trying to incite us into violence and chaos to try and do more harm! He just opened the door. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? Enter your email address to be notified about new posts. 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. 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. Arthur M. Blank Foundation donates over $5 million for mental health And then as Dr. King wrote in his last book, which his wife published a year after he passed away. The family foundation has already invested over $20 million into the surrounding community. 3 0 obj 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. 5 Other Blank family businesses include the nationwide PGA TOUR Superstore as well as a handful of ranches across the country. 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. "So, you know, I love him. endobj Home Depot Cofounder Arthur Blank on Politics, Supporting Biden But in any event, that was part of just being a good listener. But the two subsequent CEOs the gentleman there today, Craig Minear, the CEO and president Ted Decker both live the culture. 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. << 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. Blank retired from the company in 2001 as co-chairman. 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. So, I would say it was very successful. Bernard Marcus - Wikipedia Falcons owner Arthur Blank is weighing in on Georgia's sweeping overhaul of election laws. But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. 5) 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. Opponents of the bill argue it's too restrictive and targets minority voters. stream Do it in November. "Obviously, it's a tragic time in the history of the. All the issues that Colin [Kaepernick] raised at that time [2016-2107] about the social injustice and lack of equality and equity in the criminal system and all those issues, I think they were real then and they're certainly real now. Stay up to date with what you want to know. 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. Michael Vicks published letter, Atlanta, nearly made a whole city cry on the eve of the Super Bowl. Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. We want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burned to the ground. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz So that was a low price a lower price than before Michael Vick the star quarterback was born 22 years before that. /ca 1.0 The Falcons were the first pro football team in the South, founded during the civil rights era in 1965. Why Should Tim Walz Even Bother Debating Scott Jensen? 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. I would suggest, for anybody in business, that you listen to who you're serving. 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. Brian and Arthur welcomed their daughter Blake into the world via Arthur's sister Aoife, who acted as a surrogate for the couple, back in September -- with Brian previously teasing the documentary before Blake's arrival. And he should know. He received his MBA from Harvard. Arthur Blank On Michael Vick, Bernie Marcus, And How He'd Run The U.S. 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. So it was a great story and is a great story. Your support makes this possible. Arthur Blank's Wives & Family: 5 Fast Facts | Heavy.com 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.". And it's all connected not only to associates, but to the communities in which we live and operate. And now their story is a page-turning novel. /Producer ( Q t 4 . Tikkun Olam [a Jewish concept of repairing the world through action]. "It's healthy to disagree on things, but it's not acceptable to not be kind.". ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. 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. Paul, are you there? 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. endobj (And Im not forgetting Colin Kaepernicks protests against police violence, and how the league effectively blackballed him before paying him off to avoid a certain-to-be-nightmarish public trial.). 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. You're going to get a lot of your fellow owners really pissed. That should never be tolerated. Arthur Blank on NFL kneelers: 'Players have no interest in being 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Political Affiliations of Retail Leaders - liveabout.com The documentary will premiere exclusively Nov. 23, 2020 at 8 p.m.on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. Minnesota Legislature, What Are You Chewing? 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/. I mean, people were throwing tea off those boats because they were protesting, you know. Nationality: United States Executive summary: Co-Founder of Home Depot. So, then we opened up The Home Depot. 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. 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. And being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. Democracy - The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Citizens and municipalities have for far too long believed these baseless claims, paid for the stadium, and watched them lie dormant during the offseason as the new businesses never came. 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. The 79-year-old philanthropist has supported educational projects to promote civil rights and racial justice. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. !, And listen to me, be careful where you are getting your information to JOIN protests!! Home Depot co-founders pictured in 1979, a year after the first store opened. So we designed our stadium to accommodate not just for the Atlanta Falcons and National Football League football American football but soccer as well. This is not a good way to make a living. You know, dig in [your] heels and it becomes, "My territory, your territory," etc. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. Brian Kemp signed SB 202 into law. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. 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. I want you to talk to 10 of your friends. The problem for the big, powerful, macho NFL, as it is for every other giant public entity, is that racism and cancer are kind of the easy stuff. I mean, you write a book like this, it's really getting into kind of the political arena. RELATED:Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid'. But the level where this Gruden idiocy touches the countrys perilous moment is where the NFL arguably one of the most popular and therefore influential organizations/corporations in the country could and should use Grudens buffoonish racism and sexism to make unambiguous statements to its fans, which is to say just about everyone in the country. So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] Blank retired as Home Depot's co-chairman in. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. But he was there and he finally said, Listen, you own the franchise, you have the option. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. 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. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. And they've worked collectively for the United States, for everybody in this country, 330 million people. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. 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. 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. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". 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. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. Soccer fans don't want to feel like they go into a stadium and they're a second-class citizen citizen. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. 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. 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. Arthur Blank on Trump policies: 'Troubled by anything that that those rights were not being fully reflected in our society today. They all live life with purpose. So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together. And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. 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? 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. "This grant will help The Center add to its existing . meathead) culture inside the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. Born on September 27, 1942, Blank owns the Atlanta, Georgia sports teams - the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of the MLS. (Confidentiality, you know.) 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. If you don't make good choices, you can end up being in really bad places. 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 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. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. "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. /Filter /DCTDecode GPB intern Eva Rothenberg contributed to this article. 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. Falcons GM comments on pursuing Deshaun Watson last offseason Now it's ranked like seventh. 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. 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. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. 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. This can create a steady stream of jobs and revenue for the community. I mean, it wasn't like, You're Republican or Democrat. He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. Pictured is the famous napkin deal that sealed Arthur Blanks agreement with Taylor Smith to purchase the Atlanta Falcons for $545 million in 2001. By Bob Bahr October 12, 2021, 5:48 pm. What Does Hamline Not Understand About Academic Freedom? Arthur Blank - Wikipedia Home Depot cofounders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus have long been on separate sides of the fence when it comes to politics. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. Arthur M. Blank is responsible for the sorry state of the Falcons. 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. I remember I called the commissioner then, who was Paul Tagliabue, and I say, Well, Paul, I have this idea. 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. Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. 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. Though the 78-year-old who's now the owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team was aware of their political differences, he said it never had any bearing on their shared values. When he came out, he was on house arrest and I took a meal to him and his family from his favorite restaurant here in Atlanta. 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. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. Kimball previously served as the vice president of network support at Teach for All. 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. If executed improperly, this stadium could continue a long line of broken promises for this blighted community. The Atlanta media thrashed Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot, and Arthur Blank about their interest level sometime after the news broke. Arthur Blanks brother, Michael, and his father, Max, are photographed outside the OES Pharmacy family business, in 1940. Full statement from Arthur Blank: https://t.co/1lU870TGWa pic.twitter.com/0qejiahKKY, Please, please stop this violence!! 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. The couple filed for divorce in 2013. 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. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. NFL Owner Political Donations: Who Gave to Obama AND Rubio? - The Big Lead 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:. And it was early on a Sunday morning. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. But that was typical of my mother. Arthur Blank releases statement after Trump's comments on NFL But Its All Too Familiar. I mean, those fans, they feel like that's the only sport that we're hosting in that stadium. 6 Blank was the 2003 Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. 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.
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