Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank Donating $17 Million to Civil Rights Museum Expansion

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, left, hugs head coach Raheem Morris before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

The billionaire owner of the Atlanta Falcons is donating $17 million to help a civil rights museum expand and offer new programming.

Arthur Blank’s family foundation announced the gift to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights on Thursday. The vast majority of the money will fund a new, three-story west wing at the downtown Atlanta museum that will include space to educate visitors about lynching. The remaining $2 million will be used to fund storytelling and other projects that connect the history of racial injustice to contemporary challenges.

Blank co-founded Home Depot Inc. He bought the Falcons in 2002 and also owns the Atlanta United soccer team.

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