I 75 c*nts Winsion-Salem Grfinsboro High Point vol. xxiii no. 37
Jup Chronicle
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I High Point Librarian is minding your business
By CAKOLt W fcATHERFORD
Special to (he Chronicle
The High Point Minority Business
Directory is hot off the press. A publica
tion of the High Point Public Library
Business Research Services unit, the
directory lists 109 minority and woman
owned businesses in High Point,
Jamestown and Archdale.
The directory is the brainchild of
June Evans, unit supervisor of the
library's Business Research Services.
With support from the library's director.
Kim Ellis, and research head, Nan
Parrish, the directory was first published
in 1995.
The 38-page directory fills a void,
says Ms. Evans. "Before the directory
existed, a lot of people came in the
library asking for information on minor
ity companies in High Point. We had
national directories and Greensboro and
Winston-Salem directories, but we didn't
have anything local."
Claire Robinson of Winston-Salem
based InnoTech Systems & Training pro
vided technical assistance and developed
a database for the project. To gather
information about area businesses, the
library invited minority firms to respond
to a questionnaire. The recently released
second edition lists about a dozen more
businesses than the first edition.
Copies of the free directory may be
obtained in the library's business depart
ment.
The directory is but one service that
the department offers. Ms. Evans, who
has supervised the department since
1987, has made it a virtual information
clearinghouse for entrepreneurs.
Ms. Evans encourages aspiring and
existing entrepreneurs to do their home
work. "A good business plan is crucial,"
she stresses. "You have to have short
term and long term plans." That requires
research into specific industries, compe
tition, demographics, government regu
lations, legal considerations, and capital
sources.
See High Point an A2
June Ivans, unit supervisor, Business
Research Services, stands with the
business directories at the High Paint
Public Library.
Keeping kids at home: High numbers
of African-American children in foster care
Child Protoethro Treatment's Carol Doomoy said
she know* the spectrum of abuse is broader.
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community News Reporter
It's 1997 ? do you know where your
children are?
In Forsyth County, a large number
of African-American children are not
at home with their biological families.
Consistently, African-American chil
dren outnumber any other race of chil
dren in foster care, usually by a three to
one margin. J
From January to March of this year,
762 black children from Forsyth
County went into some type of protec
tive custody, either in the form of a spe
cialized or traditional foster home, or a
youth group home. White children
entering foster care during this period
accounted for 630 cases.
Carol Downey, supervisor of Child
Protective Treatment Services, suspects
those numbers have less to do with par
enting abilities for each race, and more
with a bias in reporting abuse or
neglect cases.
Downey's division, which is part of
the Department of Social Services,
investigates child abuse allegations.
These calls can come from a variety of
sources: anonymous tips, concerned
family and friends, the police, schools
or hospitals. On rare occasions, social
workers will stumble across instances
of child abuse or neglect.
"From the hospitals, we get more
reports on black families than white,"
said Downey. "1 know the spectrum (of
abuse) is broader than what we see."
Economic levels also play into
which children enter protective cus
tody, said Downey, and knowing how
to "play the game."
"Part of not getting yourself called
in is being able to respond right,"
Downey added. Abusive parents in a
higher income-bracket usually have
more education and know how to
finesse answers to probing questions.
Downey said it is easier for middle class
parents who bring a child with a suspi
cious injury to the doctor or hospital to
escape scrutiny.
"1 know their children [are] abused,
but we never get the call," she said.
Statewide, the racial demographics
of children in foster care are less severe,
but still grim. While white children in
foster care outnumbered African
Americans by more than 14,000, blacks
were still over-represented for their
population.
Downey said that these numbers
have maintained throughout her 27
year tenure in Social Services.
"From time to time, it (the percent
age of black children in foster care)
See Foster Care on A3
Economics, backlash slows growth of top black-owned businesses
By MAGGIE JACKSON
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) ? The pace of growth for top
black-owned businesses slowed considerably from a
year ago amid a backlash against affirmative action
and economic difficulties, Black Enterprise magazine
reported Monday.
Sales for the top black-owned companies rose 7.75
percent to $14.1 billion last year? a fifth straight year
of growth but an expansion rate that fell short of the
11.8 percent growth tallied the previous year.
The change can be traced partly to a hostile busi
ness environment, the magazine noted in releasing its
25th annual listing of the top 100 black-owned indus
trial and service firms and top 100 auto dealerships.
"A lot of the hostile business environment we're see
ing is due to the pullback of affirmative action and
minority set-aside programs, which affect smaller busi
nesses to a larger extent," managing editor Matthew
Scott said in an interview.
Downsizing and other cost-cutting efforts by
Fortune 500 firms also "means less opportunity for
smaller businesses," he said. Most of the country's
621,000 black-owned businesses, including many on
the Black Enterprise list, are small.
But Scott said the magazine is optimistic. "We fully
expect that the firms will find new ways to increase
their revenues" he said.
Companies on Fortune and Forbes magazines'
annual lists also showed a slowing in sales last year, but
the change was less than at black-owned businesses.
Fortune 500 and Forbes 500 companies had an 8.3
percent rise in sales llfet year, down from the 9.9 per
cent growth of Fortune companies and 10 percent
growth registered by Forbes companies a year earlier.
Sec Growth on A3
Is East Winston a potential
health-care money market?
At long at Medicaid remains in place, indigent care it
goad business far baptist Hospital.
By BRIDGET EVARTS
Community News Reporter
If county commissioners decide in their
favor, Baptist Hospital may stand to gain
much by assuming the East Winston health
care market currently served by Reynolds
Health Center.
The medical center could potentially see
greater returns serving Medicaid patients,
than by expanding a base of privately-insured
middle class patients. The Wall Street Journal
recently reported that health care servers are
competing strenuously for the indigent mar
ket.
Medicaid and Medicare comprise the two
largest government-funded health care pro
grams. Medicare is largely paid out by the fed
eral government; last year, it was the fourth
largest and fastest-growing itert on the feder
al budget. Thfc burden of Medicaid costs rests
with state government. In 1994, Medicaid
spending accounted for one-fifth of all state
spending.
Since the health care reform of early 1990s,
See IliaWl Car* on A3
Dr. Alvin J. Schaxnidar, Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University (left), assisted Beaufort O. Bailey,
President WSSU National Alumni Association (right) at they inducted Deris B. Johnson into the Oolden
Rom Society.
Class of '47 celebrates 50 Years
1/
By FELECIA P. MCMILLAN
Special to the Chronicle
. . Good bye to all, until we
meet again./As we grow old, we'll
cherish your memories/And
think of you, our guiding
light/Dear Ole T.C."
Members of Winston-Salem
Teachers College's class of 1947
stood and proudly sang their
class song "Dear Ole T.C.," set to
the tune of "Londonderry Air,"
at their formal banquet May 10.
Thirty-three of the original 162
graduates who marched at the
May 27, 1947 commencement
day program, held at the former
Fries Auditorium (now the
Kenneth R. Williams
Auditorium), participated in the
golden, anniversary celebration.
Lessie Branch Williams served as
Mistress of ceremony.
Participants registered on ;
Friday at the Holiday Inn North,
took a tour of the city and of the
university and enjoyed refresh- ?
See Class on A2
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