And he recently gave $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden, Forbes reported. Theres a revelation of Blank stumbling dazedly into a parking lot after being abruptly forced out of Home Depot in 2001, and his devastation after the Falcons epic 2017 loss in the Super Bowl. These are the kinds of people we need in leadership today, not thinking about red, blue, purple. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located adjacent to the Falcons current home, the Georgia Dome, in Atlantas Westside. Home Depot Co-Founder Donates to Mentorship Program for Teens - The New And it was early on a Sunday morning. And the Falcons new stadiumscheduled to open this summerwith an estimated cost of $1.5 billion, $200 million coming from Atlanta hotel-motel taxesis definitely big and shinny with tons of gadgets to enhance the fan experience. But this is where the similarities with most other stadiums end. 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. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. And part of that is reducing our environmental impact.. Then I would not be bashful about asking questions. He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. JFIF K K C 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. (Confidentiality, you know.) 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. All of which is, yknow, really classy stuff. Copyright 2023 InfluenceWatch. What Would Trump Steal That is So Ultra Top Secret and Why? The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. Her father was one half of Rodgers and Hammerstein. What I Learned Over One Cup of Coffee Yesterday Morning, You Want to Laugh at Liz Truss and The Brits. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? "He cares deeply about giving back and making a difference in people's lives. The 79-year-old philanthropist has supported educational projects to promote civil rights and racial justice. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Atlanta, GA 30318 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. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. 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. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. Sadly, sometimes these young men and women get involved in that cycle and they never get out of it. 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. Arthur Blank gives $17M to National Center for Civil and Human Rights Scott Jensens Unanswered $15,000,000,000 Question. Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. Brian Dowling And Arthur Gourounlian Surrogacy Documentary Announced /SA true People are scared and in pain. 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. 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. 1 2 . It Now Actually Matters, a Lot. Blank told Business Insider that despite their differences, running a company is "not a red issue or a blue issue" and is instead about sharing the same values. You know, better than in the 40s and 50s, but not where we should be. Arthur Blank, Tyler Perry speak out about protests, riots The Number of White Teachers About to Get Fired is Exactly Zero. Arthur Blank indicates that 2023 season is a must win for Arthur Smith The Falcons leadership knows how to play politics. The largest donor was Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Arthur Blank says Falcons are 'excited' about Desmond Ridder's play Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games . Arthur M. Blank Foundation donates over $5 million for mental health It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. The league has recently been running in-game PSAs pushing cancer and mental health awareness screenings, etc. NFL Owner Political Donations: Who Gave to Obama AND Rubio? - The Big Lead One of the beauties is that when you come to the stadium, it feels like it's the United Nations. 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]. But, you know, I needed to change my view on what I could give back and how it could be connected to other people.. Arthur Blank Archives - Wry Wing PoliticsWry Wing Politics And if all goes to plan, its also going to help a depressed community thats heard big talk before. Student Loan Forgiveness and The Ghost of John Kline, (Who?). And I think this should be addressed out of respect and out of listening.". /Filter /DCTDecode Fernandez says that they intend to use the stadium as an anchoring institution, and that the number one thing people in the community said they wanted are jobs. 9, Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. 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. 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. And they love the camaraderie. 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. /Type /ExtGState 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. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. 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. The Falcons were the first pro football team in the South, founded during the civil rights era in 1965. He owns the team, after all. More must be done to address systemic racism. Young you are. It starts with respect. C q" Kimball previously served as the vice president of network support at Teach for All. [Thats] something that I talk about in the book, which most people are not aware of. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!! But Blank regularly speaks on business school campuses, where future leaders and executives tell him they are anxious about the environment, the wealth gap, racial and gender inequities, and a litany of examples of corporate malfeasance. The family foundation has already invested over $20 million into the surrounding community. 260 14th St. NW I listen to what he says and sometimes I'll cringe. During the 2020 elections, Blank contributed $300,000 to Biden Victory Fund, $35,000 to the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of dollars to state Democratic Party committees. 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. It had to do with our set of values.". Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. But Its All Too Familiar. I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. 1, Arthur Blank was born to Molly and Max Blank in Queens, New York. 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. Like all stories meant to inspire, he takes some knocks. That is the change we need in this country.". And they've worked collectively for the United States, for everybody in this country, 330 million people. In 1978, they co-founded the home-improvement retailer The Home Depot, with the help of merchandising expert Pat Farrah and New York investment banker Ken Langone who assembled a group of investors. "So, you know, I love him. So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. Please stop the violence!, Im not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor! . } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br 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. And thats despite our recent record, which hasn't been, you know, one I'm particularly proud of, but we'll get better. How do you help repair the world if we can use that expression? There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) endobj They have no serious public, political advocates. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. 2023 Cox Media Group. Bernard Marcus - Wikipedia It's hard to believe. Thats great. Tikkun Olam [a Jewish concept of repairing the world through action]. The organization works directly with election officials to maintain accurate and complete voter lists and to secure their election technology infrastructure. 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. I was gagged. And there are two [robbers] and they want to know, "Where's the money, where's the cash?" 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. /AIS false There's no place for looting and stealing and whatever else. But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. Politicians, business owners and celebrities are speaking out to share their thoughts on Floyds death, the issues his killing have brought to the forefront and the protests that turned to chaos, specifically in Atlanta. 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. 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. So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together.