And my mother was giving him a lecture saying, You realize this is not what your parents would want you to do. 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. 8 In 2012, Blank signed the Giving Pledge and committed to giving more than half of his wealth away to philanthropic efforts in his lifetime. 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. Arthur Blank co-founded the Home Depot in the late 1970s after being fired from a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. It's a beautiful thing. Why Should Tim Walz Even Bother Debating Scott Jensen? This is not the legacy of civil rights in America. Our history of voting rights is a constant struggle, a repetitive cycle of expansion followed by restriction. Here, using insidegov.com's database, are the disclosed political donations* for majority NFL owners dating back to the 2008 election. We are better than this We are better than this as a country. 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. 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? that those rights were not being fully reflected in our society today. All Rights Reserved. >> 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. << 3 0 obj Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? 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. ATLANTA Protests over the death of George Floyd have been gaining national attention. We hold all the records. But the two subsequent CEOs the gentleman there today, Craig Minear, the CEO and president Ted Decker both live the culture. [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. 4, Blank purchased the NFLs Atlanta Falcons for more than $540 million shortly after stepping down as CEO of Home Depot. 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. How do I do my part in it? So it was a great story and is a great story. It's the fans. 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. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. It's hard to believe. And that's it. "He cares deeply about giving back and making a difference in people's lives. 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. ", It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy We have to be better than this moment. 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. 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. /SMask /None>> /CA 1.0 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. He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. 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. Our frontline associates and all those businesses come next. And he should know. I mean, those fans, they feel like that's the only sport that we're hosting in that stadium. And then he worked in the laundry. The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. I do know it is hard. Did the Vikings and NFL Just Blacklist Another Left-Leaning Player? I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. You can do whatever you choose to do. 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.". 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. /Filter /DCTDecode And I remember him looking at me saying, If I told your mother what you just said, she would wash your mouth out with soap. But that was the last thing I said. Stop making people feel so fearful. People are scared and in pain. He came out of the prison system as a changed person for the positive, not for the negative. 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. 9, Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. Because It Delivers Comfort, Status and Cash. One was in pricing. I mean, it doesn't make a difference how old you are. "His approach obviously is different. This is chaos. [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] 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. Arthur Blank greets a crowd of cheering Atlanta United fans in 2017. 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. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. I said, Paul? 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. He and his brother, Michael, were raised in a one-bedroom apartment. Weve never won a Super Bowl, and this years loss in Super Bowl LI was especially hard to take. I felt and others felt that we could be successful here. However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. 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. (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.) The documentary will premiere exclusively Nov. 23, 2020 at 8 p.m.on Georgia Public Broadcasting. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images), WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), >> Go home. 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. But in any event, that was part of just being a good listener. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV, Ive got a lot of love and respect for police officers., We dont want to see Targets burning. 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. But Id like to say to CNN right now: Karmas a mother. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. I mean, you write a book like this, it's really getting into kind of the political arena. Also watchRISING UP: A Westside Story,a documentary film by David Lewis Productions that gives viewers a detailed look into the ideation, construction, and impact of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the city of Atlanta. 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]. Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. The Gruden e-mails were leaked from a (way too) long-running investigation of the toxic (i.e. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. . It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. 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. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 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. And I think we got disconnected. 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. 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. His percentage of giving back from his estate will be equal to mine and some of his philosophies don't exactly match mine. 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. Liz Cheney Aint Going Nowhere in This Republican Party, Jensens Abortion Ban Promises Come Back to Haunt Him, Thanks to Oppo. 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. Blank also contributed $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008. They want to have a home-field advantage. But that was typical of my mother. 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. 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 grant will help The Center add to its existing . 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. And it's all connected not only to associates, but to the communities in which we live and operate. We've broken every season ticket record per game. But there was nothing I could say better than what Mayor @KeishaBottoms said last night! 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. Brian Kemp signed the controversial bill, which includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run. 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. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Those come first. "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. He received his MBA from Harvard. C q" 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. And it was early on a Sunday morning. 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. Like all stories meant to inspire, he takes some knocks. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. 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. The Number of White Teachers About to Get Fired is Exactly Zero. 1 2 . Thats great. Its more like cowardly, and meatheaded. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. 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. Shrinking from conflict over something as valid, real and life-protecting as a vaccine is not what Id call, manly, brave, courageous or patriotic. So, then we opened up The Home Depot. And how do I put my shoulder to the wheel and lead by example and take the blessings of all the resources that our family. The family foundation has already invested over $20 million into the surrounding community. 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. /BitsPerComponent 8 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. 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. 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! "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. But go ahead and do it, if that's what you want. So we did it. In 1978, both he and future Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank were fired during a corporate power struggle at Handy Dan. But I would keep raising my hand. Home Depot cofounders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus have long been on separate sides of the fence when it comes to politics. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. Support more understanding and be better listeners trying to see how the other people, you know, try to stand in the footsteps of others. One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". /SA true We must not accept or condone violence in any way. His professional team Atlanta United FC brought professional soccer to Atlanta beginning in 2017. 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. Scott Jensens Dramatic Fall Shows Ads Still Matter. One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. 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 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. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. And, you know, you see the blending of every type of person and personality you can imagine. Think about How do I listen to the people that are actually trying to serve and how do we put results in place that would give them the very best chance for equality and for success and for fair treatment? And I think we have to strive more for that. All of us as human beings, I think need to do a much better job of being a good listener. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. And that's one of our core values as well: Include everybody. In the 1940sGeorgia mountains, eight children were taken into the woods and left to die. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. 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. What Would Trump Steal That is So Ultra Top Secret and Why? So everything is designed to accommodate the soccer fans so they feel like this is their place as a result of that. The trouble is that the NFL is not coming clean on that investigation. "It's healthy to disagree on things, but it's not acceptable to not be kind.". 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. Please stop the violence!, Im not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! endobj 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. But Its All Too Familiar. 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. And somebody knocked on the door. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. /Producer ( Q t 4 . 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. And they've worked collectively for the United States, for everybody in this country, 330 million people. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. In 2014 it emerged that Bruce Levenson, who owned the NBAs Atlanta Hawks, had written an email that amongst other things theorized that the black crowd [at Philips Arena] scared away the whites, adding for good measure: I have even bitched that the kiss cam is too black. Levenson later that year sold his stake in the franchise, and the Hawks have worked hard to win back their black audience. All those 25,000 tickets were gone. (Confidentiality, you know.) And Ambassador Young, another good friend would say the same thing. I am, in a certain sense. And we need to figure out, you know, how do we move past that and how do we learn from that and how do we get connected with our current reality? 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? We had a different leader [Robert Nardelli ] in place that was eventually replaced. The views expressed here are the authors' alone, not necessarily the views of their clients, employers or families. By Bob Bahr October 12, 2021, 5:48 pm. They all understand it's, you know, you have an opportunity to be here on Earth and how do you want to leave it? It starts with respect. 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. 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. So when we started, MLS was ranked like 22nd among all the leagues in the world. So, I would say it was very successful. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 5 Other Blank family businesses include the nationwide PGA TOUR Superstore as well as a handful of ranches across the country. "So, you know, I love him. My dad didn't look at who it was. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. He just opened the door. 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. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) Resistance to Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Futile. Our Family Foundation and the rest of our businesses here in Atlanta and elsewhere remain committed to being part of the solution., Together for Atlanta. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. In 1978, they were both fired from Handy Dans by a corporate raider who took over the chains parent company. 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. 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. 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. And, you know, living in poverty, we had friends coming by all the time and what have you.
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