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. . And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. 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. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. A Handful of Things I Could Not Care Less About, Matt Birk: Rape Victims Are Playing the Rape Card?, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 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. Home Depot cofounders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus have long been on separate sides of the fence when it comes to politics. Team owner Arthur Blank, who has high expectations for the franchise, sat down with FOX 5 Atlanta one-on-one to talk football, philanthropy, and Kanye West. But, you know, I needed to change my view on what I could give back and how it could be connected to other people.. You know, better than in the 40s and 50s, but not where we should be. Walz Cooperation With Law Enforcement Deserves Praise, Not Punishment, If You Think Republicans Cant Ban Abortion in Minnesota, Look No Further than Iowa, Russia, Ukraine and My Seven Months with YouTube. 7, Blank founded the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in 1995 and has awarded over $560 million to causes such as education and early childhood development. "Obviously, it's a tragic time in the history of the. Brian Kemp signed the controversial bill, which includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run. Now, there's no place for violent protest. We were living in a single-bedroom apartment in Queens. 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. Arthur Blank is an American entrepreneur and a co-owner of the home improvement retail giant The Home Depot. 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. You can do whatever you choose to do. Thats great. So it was a great story and is a great story. How? /SMask /None>> 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. 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 now their story is a page-turning novel. 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. We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. 9. A reckless high-profile meathead, now out the $60 million remaining on his contract. 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'm not sure how they're going to receive you. 9, Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. 8 . 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. The Blank foundation also emphasizes environmental sustainability and aims to support programs that foster this message in the Westside. I want you to talk to 10 of your friends. 6 Blank was the 2003 Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. The ones in Atlanta on Friday started off peaceful but later turned into violent demonstrations and looting of local businesses. Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!! But he was. But really, in my view, it's mostly that talking to young people about, you know, here's somebody who's been there, done it, gotten on T-shirts, lived it, and somebody whose name they respect or the least they know of, I should say, in most cases. The statement came about five days after Gov. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. So I would just cut him some slack. They all have a great set of values. 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. Weve never won a Super Bowl, and this years loss in Super Bowl LI was especially hard to take. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. 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. I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. 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. She was a woman of great principle, great personal authority. The system has worked well for the multi-billionaire and co-founder of The Home Depot. /Subtype /Image 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. And that's it. I stayed in touch with him to some degree when he was in prison. Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. They're a PR's dream because they rarely say the wrong thing. 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. And if I stop talking now for two minutes, you realize just how long two minutes is. When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. 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 . 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. that those rights were not being fully reflected in our society today. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. But the two subsequent CEOs the gentleman there today, Craig Minear, the CEO and president Ted Decker both live the culture. And then as Dr. King wrote in his last book, which his wife published a year after he passed away. 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 is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. The guest. People are scared and in pain. 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. 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. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. ,> U#kw1%dHT6qZq]9Ki o >> Virginia Prescott is theGracie Award-winning host of On Second Thought for Georgia Public Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 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. 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. 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. Yeah, It Could Have Been Worse. To assist with the effective inclusion of community voices, the city of Atlanta participated in the Living Cities City Accelerator program, which streamlined and articulated (PDF) best practices for service providers and community leaders to build stable communities in Atlanta. A protest has purpose. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Liz Cheney Aint Going Nowhere in This Republican Party, Jensens Abortion Ban Promises Come Back to Haunt Him, Thanks to Oppo. 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. And then he worked in the laundry. Blank writes about being teased for having a stutter. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. 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 the core values that our forefathers drafted for us they weren't perfect, either, but in their own ways, they strove for those things. I am, in a certain sense. One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. Its more like cowardly, and meatheaded. /Length 7 0 R The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. Our democracy is made stronger when we hear from all Americans on the issues of our day whether they be national or local. 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. Bernie has great values and Bernie cares deeply not only about our faith, but about giving back. And he recently gave $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden, Forbes reported. When you burn down this city, youre burning down our community., If you want change in America, go and register to vote. 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. He just opened the door. That was in 1979. Seventy-threethousand stood up and clapped, gave him a great hand. Seventy percent of the players in the NFL are African American a disproportionate number. 1, Arthur Blank was born to Molly and Max Blank in Queens, New York. It's the fans. Blank retired from the company in 2001 as co-chairman. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. 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. 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. ATLANTA - Falcons team owner Arthur Blank has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team's final game of the regular season. 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. February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. 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. 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. Steve Bullock, and the Democratic National Committee, to name a few, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. The organization works directly with election officials to maintain accurate and complete voter lists and to secure their election technology infrastructure. But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. Left to right: Dennis Ross, Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, Pat Farrah, Ron Brill. Those come first. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will also be home to Atlantas MLS team, Atlanta United FC. 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. In our case, the fans, customers, guests or grantees, whatever the case may be, you're going to find out the ultimate truth of what you need to do to build a business response to issues, spot opportunities, deal with problems, whatever it may be. Expand. 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. It is in effect protecting the teams owner, a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. I concede, as others who know him personally have, that Im stunned that a guy like Gruden who has been a high-profile media/cultural presence for over 20 years, regularly giving live interviews, chewing up air time as a TV analyst and obliging all the other requests for personal contact that go with being a football celebritry could conceal his essential meat-headedness so long and so well. Arthur Blank talks sensible gun reform. And we've had a very successful team for the first threeand-a-half years this year. 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. So that was a low price a lower price than before Michael Vick the star quarterback was born 22 years before that. . I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. So, I would say it was very successful. It had to do with our set of values.". /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB And I love him. stream Young you are. 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! We've broken every season ticket record per game. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. This is not a good way to make a living. With Labels, Listen to Affected Populations, Not Activists, As With Alcohol, Mitigation, Not Prohibition, Is the Answer, It Seems Democrats Are Blundering Badly (Again) with Their All-Abortion, All-the-Time Campaign. /Filter /DCTDecode 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. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. Paul, are you there? In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. And somebody knocked on the door. 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. We want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burned to the ground. However, many Americans are still being denied access to their vote and their ability to fully participate in our democracy. This is not the legacy of civil rights in America. There was a six-year period in there, when things went a little south. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". 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. How do I do my part in it? Players and coaches appear giving quick testimonials. Is the Jensen-Birk Campaign Minnesotas WOAT? I do know it is hard. That coming the day before the New York Times dropped the bomb(s) about Gruden calling the NFL commissioner a faggot, ripping the leagues concussion protocols, (in other words, Grudens pro-concussion) and trading nudie pictures of cheerleaders. I have what's called a veil state, or I am a stutterer. In the 1940sGeorgia mountains, eight children were taken into the woods and left to die. The Falcons were the first pro football team in the South, founded during the civil rights era in 1965. ', 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. So we designed our stadium to accommodate not just for the Atlanta Falcons and National Football League football American football but soccer as well. It starts with respect. Blank's statement did not specify any initiatives or call any elected officials or political parties by name. ", CNN -- Ted [Turner] did a great thing. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. 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. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located adjacent to the Falcons current home, the Georgia Dome, in Atlantas Westside. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. 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? The latest of Blank's many charitable endeavors is aimed at helping the museum expand its reach. I'll flip words around, you know, subconsciously and, and make sentences complete. 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. A documentary surrounding Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian's surrogacy journey is set to air on RT on March 13. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! So thats Gruden. 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. 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. Bernardo Little . . I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. So everything is designed to accommodate the soccer fans so they feel like this is their place as a result of that. He owns the team, after all. And he should know. 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. 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. His daughter Dena is the executive director of the Kendeda Fund, a left-of-center private foundation founded by her mother, Diana Blank. 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. Over the past week, figures around the NFL have In total, they anticipate hosting each year 40 to 50 big events and an additional 100 to 200 small events in the neighboring park that will be built where the Georgia Dome currently resides. 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! 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? << So, you know, soccer is on the ascent in the United States dramatically, which is a great thing. And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. But he did. 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. Atlanta Falcons employees are most likely to be members of the Republican Party. I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. He released a statement five days after Gov. 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. 3, By 1981, Home Depots stock went public and raised over $4 million. 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. So it really never defined me. And they've worked collectively for the United States, for everybody in this country, 330 million people. 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. More must be done to address systemic racism. 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.

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