In order to put this grinding pandemic behind us once and for all? He and his brother, Michael, were raised in a one-bedroom apartment. Arthur Blank: I was fired from Home Depot - YouTube But it's really not a story about dogfighting. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" 3 0 obj Paul, are you OK? I was going to call his secretary, thinking Paul got a heart attack or something. They're a PR's dream because they rarely say the wrong thing. 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. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. At the end of the day, you can have differences of opinion, which is a great thing to have, and different approaches, which is a great thing to have. And we've had a very successful team for the first threeand-a-half years this year. And he had to mop the floors for weeks and months on end. Seventy percent of the players in the NFL are African American a disproportionate number. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. It doesn't mean we agree on everything, we don't, but that's healthy," he said. 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. Brian Kemp signed SB 202 into law. His daughter Dena is the executive director of the Kendeda Fund, a left-of-center private foundation founded by her mother, Diana Blank. You're going to get a lot of your fellow owners really pissed. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. 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. Hes a combination of father and brother to me. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. ', We have to be better than this moment. Atlanta rapper, advocate Killer Mike has message for protestors https://t.co/zb3oMHK7sx, "You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country. 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. Kimball previously served as the vice president of network support at Teach for All. Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. I mean, people were throwing tea off those boats because they were protesting, you know. "He cares deeply about giving back and making a difference in people's lives. And being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. Steve Bullock, and the Democratic National Committee, to name a few, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. But We Aint Seen Nuthin Yet. And that's an example of the happiness that we're talking about. 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:. /Width 625 It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. 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, he uses the phrase community of chaos, that we move away from chaos and towards community and community in a very broad sense, community with each other. Arthur Blank releases statement on Georgia voting rights /AIS false Statement from Arthur Blank on the 2020 election - Atlanta Falcons that those rights were not being fully reflected in our society today. Currently, over 200 Westside residents are working on the stadiums construction and the foundation has funded, among other things, Westside Works to help residents find employment and learn job training skills. 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. In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. And I remember he told me, he said, You know, when [I went into] the prison system, they gave me three pair of underwear, three shirts, three pair slacks, three socks and one pair of shoes, and that was it. He said, That was all I was going to have, as opposed to the lifestyle he was leading before. 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. They said it would take an act of courage on your part to go out on the field and and to be recognized. And, you know, people stood up! He fielded multiple quarterback-related questions and spoke glowingly of Ridder, who. 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. (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.). He came out of the prison system as a changed person for the positive, not for the negative. After stepping down as CEO of Home Depot in the early 2000s, Blank's 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. Is Arthur Blank the Only Good Owner in the NFL? - The Daily Beast Paul, are you there? Additionally in 2014, the Atlanta Braves announced that they were building a new stadium outside the city in the northern suburbs, and leaving Turner Field, which was originally the site of Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 summer games. 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. Liz Cheney Aint Going Nowhere in This Republican Party, Jensens Abortion Ban Promises Come Back to Haunt Him, Thanks to Oppo. I remember I called the commissioner then, who was Paul Tagliabue, and I say, Well, Paul, I have this idea. She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. 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 know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. Please, please stop this violence!! People are scared and in pain. This is not a good way to make a living. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. All of which is, yknow, really classy stuff. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. /SMask /None>> 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. RELATED:Georgia Secretary of State calls many election changes 'solid'. 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. stream Brian Dowling And Arthur Gourounlian Surrogacy Documentary Announced 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. 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. They were trying to indicate that what the military had fought for these rights, the civil rights, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. 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? And part of that is reducing our environmental impact.. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. They all have a great set of values. 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. Expand. 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/. 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. /SM 0.02 Both John Lewis John, just a month before he passed away and Andy Young have said to me that we do have to recognize that things are better than they used to be. The firing in 1978 was a political situation primarily between my partner Bernie [Marcus] and a gentleman, that has passed away now, who was his boss. 17. The Blank foundation also emphasizes environmental sustainability and aims to support programs that foster this message in the Westside. He's committed to his wife now, his children. 16 Blanks son, Kenny Blank, also sits on the foundations board and is the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. It's a beautiful thing. 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. So that was a low price a lower price than before Michael Vick the star quarterback was born 22 years before that. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. 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. Hopefully we'll get back in the playoffs, but not as well as the first three years. "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. We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle. We need to recognize those truths. And Ambassador Young, another good friend would say the same thing. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. 4, Blank purchased the NFLs Atlanta Falcons for more than $540 million shortly after stepping down as CEO of Home Depot. The ones in Atlanta on Friday started off peaceful but later turned into violent demonstrations and looting of local businesses. Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts. Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. But in any event, that was part of just being a good listener. 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. Home Depot Co-Founder Donates to Mentorship Program for Teens - The New 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. 9. Dueling Visions for Minnesota: Scandinavia or South Dakota? Then I would not be bashful about asking questions. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. Your support makes this possible. And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. 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. I'll flip words around, you know, subconsciously and, and make sentences complete. "People are coming from different places, which is okay, but it's not okay when they're disrespectful; it's not okay when they're not kind. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. "It's healthy to disagree on things, but it's not acceptable to not be kind.". So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. Bernardo Little . Porn Star Pay Offs, Inciting Insurrection, Sexual Assaults, Bank Fraud, Election Conspiracy and FoxNews v. Dominion. Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. Tikkun Olam [a Jewish concept of repairing the world through action]. When you burn down this city, youre burning down our community., If you want change in America, go and register to vote. They all live life with purpose. Arthur Blank - Wikipedia 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 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. That is the change we need in this country.". After cofounding Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978, Blank and Marcus helped put the do-it-yourself phenomenon on the map by offering the tools for personal home renovations. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. But that was typical of my mother. 15, Two of Blanks children, Dena Kimball and Kenny Blank, sit on the board of directors of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. /Type /ExtGState 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. /Subtype /Image Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. So we designed our stadium to accommodate not just for the Atlanta Falcons and National Football League football American football but soccer as well. That was in 1979. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. A reckless high-profile meathead, now out the $60 million remaining on his contract. I said, Paul? 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. Which country do you come from? But Id like to say to CNN right now: Karmas a mother. Shrinking from conflict over something as valid, real and life-protecting as a vaccine is not what Id call, manly, brave, courageous or patriotic. endobj Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. Arthur Blank responsible for sorry state of Falcons - ajc Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. 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. 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. 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. Arthur Blank, Tyler Perry speak out about protests, riots Peaceful protests of the past have led to new ways forward. 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. There was a six-year period in there, when things went a little south. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. The statement came about five days after Gov. 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. 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. ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. 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. The views expressed here are the authors' alone, not necessarily the views of their clients, employers or families. So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. But I would keep raising my hand. 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 do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. Home Depot co-founders pictured in 1979, a year after the first store opened. And my mother was giving him a lecture saying, You realize this is not what your parents would want you to do. 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! With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? Martin Luther King Jr. once lived in this part of town, but decades of disinvestment and neglect have resulted in over 40 percent of the community living in poverty with an unemployment rate twice that of the rest of Atlanta. Georgia businessman Arthur Blank joins with voting groups on - ajc 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. Soon after, Blank met his third wife Angela Macuga whom he married in 2016 and later announced their plans to divorce in 2019. 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. 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. So, long story short, I think, is that we should recognize the past, understand the progress we have made. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. So there wasn't a word on the other end of the phone. Soccer fans don't want to feel like they go into a stadium and they're a second-class citizen citizen. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. And today that's 2,200 stores in Canada, United States and Mexico probably have a market capitalization today of about $300 billion. Thats great. 3, By 1981, Home Depots stock went public and raised over $4 million. 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. (Confidentiality, you know.) 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. Atlanta Falcons employees are most likely to be members of the Republican Party. And that's one of our core values as well: Include everybody. 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. 7) "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. Arthur Blank indicates that 2023 season is a must win for Arthur Smith Hey, Senate DFLers, Dont Forget The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact! << This is not a protest. We hold all the records. Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. We are better than this We are better than this as a country. Student Loan Forgiveness and The Ghost of John Kline, (Who?). United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. 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. 10, Following proposed changes to Georgia voting laws in early 2021, Blank released a statement saying, We should be working to make voting easier, not harder for every eligible citizen, and that his businesses and family foundation will support efforts that advance voting access for the citizens of Georgia and across the nation. 11 Blank also participated in an online call with over 100 corporate executives to discuss taking action following changes to state voting laws including the possibility of delaying investments in states that pass allegedly restrictive voting laws. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. 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. The guest. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. /Filter /DCTDecode The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach.
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