Arthur M. Blank’s Proceeds from Forthcoming Memoir, “Good Company,” Going to The National Center for Civil and Human Rights
BLANK TO MAKE INITIAL CONTRIBUTION OF $300,000 AS PART OF BOOK’S DEBUT
ATLANTA (June 24, 2020) – Arthur M. Blank’s personal proceeds from his book, GOOD COMPANY, will be donated to The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia. GOOD COMPANY, which shares a vision and roadmap for values-based business by The Home Depot co-founder, philanthropist, and businessman will be published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, on September 15, 2020, and is available now for pre-order at www.arthurblank.com. Blank’s proceeds will go to The Center in perpetuity with an initial contribution of $300,000 to celebrate the memoir’s publication this fall.
The Center, located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, is an engaging cultural museum that connects the American Civil Rights movement to today’s struggle for global human rights and has worked closely with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation over the years, beginning with initial funding of The Center.
“The Center stands for everything I personally believe in as it relates to educating, building community, and fostering the principles of inclusion and fairness,” Blank said. “It is not only important to Atlanta but for our entire world and our support of the center from the beginning has been a natural extension of our family foundation and family of businesses. At this time, it is abundantly clear The Center’s mission remains important and imperative to the ongoing challenge of achieving equality, justice, and the very ideals of freedom for all. I’m honored to support that mission in any way I can.”
“The Center is honored to receive this most generous, lasting gift from Mr. Blank,” said Jill Savitt, the CEO and President of The National Center for Civil and Human Rights. “This support is the latest example of Arthur’s long-standing commitment to The Center – which began when we were just an idea more than a decade ago. Arthur and his family enabled us to build our museum and create its programs— which for six years have been inspiring visitors to tap their own power to promote rights and justice for all.”
About Arthur M. Blank – Owner and Chairman, Blank Family of Businesses
Perhaps best known as co-founder of The Home Depot, Arthur Blank is now widely recognized for his diverse businesses. He was distinguished by Forbes as one of the World’s 100 Greatest Living Business Minds in 2017, Sports Business Journal’s Executive of the Year in 2018, and Sports Business Journal’s one of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
In addition to the Blank Family Foundation, Blank’s Family of Businesses includes the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United; the nationwide PGA TOUR Superstore; three ranches in Montana, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, West Creek Ranch and Paradise Valley Ranch; and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which hosted the 2019 Super Bowl and is home to the Falcons and Atlanta United.
Since 1995, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has granted more than $560 million to support early childhood development, education, the arts, veteran-causes, and parks and greenspace. The foundation also leads to giving programs for each of the for-profit businesses in Blank’s portfolio. Through his Foundation and businesses, Blank has donated nearly $7 million to COVID-19 pandemic relief.
A native of Queens, N.Y., Blank resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and is the father of six children and has six grandchildren.
About The National Center for Civil and Human Rights
The Center is a six-year-old museum and cultural institution in Atlanta, the birthplace of civil rights in America. The dynamic storytelling in the exhibitions connects US civil rights history to global efforts to protect the rights of people of color, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and others today. The Center’s education resources, trainings, and engagement programs inspire reflection and understanding and galvanize individuals to take action to protect rights and strengthen our democracy.
About HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers is the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 17 countries. With 200 years of history and more than 120 branded imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year in 16 languages and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles. Writing across dozens of genres, HarperCollins authors include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and the Man Booker Prize. HarperCollins, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) and can be visited online at corporate.HC.com.
Media Contacts:
Shani Drake
Director of Public Engagement & Marketing
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
[email protected]
James Richards
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
[email protected]
646.789.1375