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. 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. But, we really could not have done it without great service, great pricing, and great product knowledge. He also goes public about the pain of learning of Michael Vicks role in an illegal dogfighting ring, along with other ups and downs in a life of unimaginable financial success. 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. All of us as human beings, I think need to do a much better job of being a good listener. 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. /Producer ( Q t 4 . 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. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. When you burn down this city, youre burning down our community., If you want change in America, go and register to vote. Michael Vicks published letter, Atlanta, nearly made a whole city cry on the eve of the Super Bowl. 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. So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? It's a beautiful thing. They were trying to indicate that what the military had fought for these rights, the civil rights, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. "His approach obviously is different. It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. Born on September 27, 1942, Blank owns the Atlanta, Georgia sports teams - the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and Atlanta United of the MLS. "I know Bernie's heart. And that's one of our core values as well: Include everybody. To many Atlantans, myself included, leaving Turner Field was symbolic of the white flight that has defined the city since the 1960s. 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. I mean, it doesn't make a difference how old you are. And he recently gave $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden, Forbes reported. 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. 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. The ones in Atlanta on Friday started off peaceful but later turned into violent demonstrations and looting of local businesses. 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. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. In 2022, they plan to connect with over 1 million voters/ potential voters through phone banking, text banking, in-person canvassing events, and going door to door. He released a statement five days after Gov. I went to a small business school outside of Boston called Babson College I would always sit in the front because I always wanted to pay attention and learn. 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. Despite being widowed at a young age, his mother managed the familys mail-order pharmaceutical business and sold it to a large retail conglomerate. But my mother would say to me, You know, what you have to say is important. Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. "It's healthy to disagree on things, but it's not acceptable to not be kind.". The stadium boasts roughly 4,000 solar panels and will use 70 percent less energy. 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. 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. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr The Blank foundation also emphasizes environmental sustainability and aims to support programs that foster this message in the Westside. 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. I want you guys to come up with real solutions. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images), WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), >> Go home. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with businessman Arthur Blank about gun regulation and philanthropy. "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. 2023 Cox Media Group. The 74-year-old Blank, who Forbes estimates has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, is the director of Cox. He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. So it was a great story and is a great story. America has long struggled to deliver a fair and equitable democracy to all of its citizens. No, I'm not. They're a PR's dream because they rarely say the wrong thing. 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. Soon after, Blank met his third wife Angela Macuga whom he married in 2016 and later announced their plans to divorce in 2019. 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. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and . Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. All Rights Reserved. This is not a good way to make a living. The Athletic reported that Blank gave $2,800 to Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, on July 1. 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 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. We dont have the answers, but we are committed to listening and responding to the people who have made this their lifes work and to the citizens they serve. Bernardo Little . 17. 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. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. Where did your parents come from with your grandparents? We all came from someplace else, other than the other Native Americans. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. 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. 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. Were trying to do the exact opposite of that.. 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. We believe that voting rights are critically important, and our home state of Georgia is at the center of the struggle. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) Arthur Blank co-founded the Home Depot in the late 1970s after being fired from a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. follow. Sadly, sometimes these young men and women get involved in that cycle and they never get out of it. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. But he did. 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. Arthur Blank talks sensible gun reform. She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. 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 that's all part of his story of redemption and his story of being a changed person. Players and coaches appear giving quick testimonials. 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. The pair always strove to create a work environment that put people before politics, said Blank. There was a six-year period in there, when things went a little south. ,> U#kw1%dHT6qZq]9Ki o Its appalling how heavily-to-tightly-managed entities, especially those controlled by a small cluster of well-heeled egos turn into shuddering eunuchs at the thought of riling just an ugly faction of its consumer base. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. meathead) culture inside the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. The foundation is . We've broken every season ticket record per game. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change. 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. Blank's statement did not specify any initiatives or call any elected officials or political parties by name. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL. 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. Full statement from Arthur Blank: https://t.co/1lU870TGWa pic.twitter.com/0qejiahKKY, Please, please stop this violence!! And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. And it was early on a Sunday morning. With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. He details the inception and rapid success of Atlanta United, and responding to the NFL protests that began in 2016. Like all stories meant to inspire, he takes some knocks. The league has recently been running in-game PSAs pushing cancer and mental health awareness screenings, etc. All of which is, yknow, really classy stuff. Who knows how successful theyll be, and many residents worry that economic growth could facilitate gentrification. 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. 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. 1 0 obj Minnesota Legislature, What Are You Chewing? 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. These are the kinds of people we need in leadership today, not thinking about red, blue, purple. Ticket pricing was higher than it could have been or should have been at that time, and so I brought Dick Sullivan over from Home Depot, the gentleman who now runs our PGA Superstores and we came up with a strategy that we've got to sell season's tickets for $100. But in any event, that was part of just being a good listener. This is chaos and were buying into it. But, you know, I needed to change my view on what I could give back and how it could be connected to other people.. 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. 260 14th St. NW So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing.