Faded Red Beads

From an Orphanage to a Disrupted Adoption

A Story of Courage, Resiliency, and Faith

by

Monica Hargrave

Heartbreaking and heartfelt testimony from a woman who successfully survived the foster care system and adoption.

Faded Red Beads: From an Orphanage to a Disrupted Adoption – A Story of Courage, Resiliency, and Faith by Monica Hargrave is the heartbreaking story of her young life in the foster system, her adoption, and the healing she has undergone to reach the place of peace she is in today. This book is not for looky-loos wanting to read about scandalous, overt cruelty, but rather a thoughtful and heartfelt account of the impact of emotional neglect, the absence of love, affection, human touch, and parental recognition. The author poses the simple and obvious questions that the adults in her life should have been asking. I fervently hope that reliving these still raw memories is cathartic. 

Monica Garnett was placed in an orphanage soon after her premature birth and eventually ended up as one of several foster children in a kind and loving woman’s home. While the foster mother didn’t have much money, she surrounded her charges with love, caring, and the feel of a real family. Monica lived in this situation for several years and was devastated when she was removed to be adopted by the O’Neals at age nine. 

The O’Neals sounded completely unsuitable to be adoptive parents, and it seemed like having a daughter was all for Mrs. O’Neal’s ego. When Mrs. O’Neal suddenly passed away before the adoption was finalized, the clueless Mr. O’Neal was on his own to nurture the young motherless Monica. A naturally strict man, he seemed overwhelmed by his feelings of keeping Monica safe from boys and went completely overboard in his methods. Thankfully, Monica had at least one older woman friend, with a good head on her shoulders, who was eventually able to get her out of what had become an untenable situation. 

The author provides interesting background information and statistics about African-American family life and how it has changed during her lifetime. The strength of her story, though, is in her discussion of her feelings on being given up for adoption, the circumstances of her birth and birth parents, and the lack of communication with fostered and adopted children. She voices the thoughts, feelings, and questions of these children. It was heartbreaking to discover later that her birth parents were both within blocks of her foster home all along, and their family members even attended the same church she did. They all knew who she was, but none of them ever reached out to her. 

I recommend FADED RED BEADS to readers who enjoy memoirs and autobiographical stories, especially those featuring adoption or the foster system. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Silver Dagger Book Tours.

Since 2015, the Center for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE) at the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University has been helping transform “visions into ventures,” providing funding, business advisement, and training for more than 1,900 women-owned businesses across Texas to date.

To celebrate its milestone anniversary, CWE hosted an anniversary event on July 8 with a vendor showcase of 40 grant recipients.

Over the last decade, CWE has awarded more than $2.37 million in grant funding to 467 women entrepreneurs across Texas, supporting efforts to launch, grow, and scale businesses in urban centers and rural communities. Among the rich diversity of ventures supported by CWE are a number of intriguing enterprises—such as a pet gift shop, doula service, custom prosthetics designer, and even a mortuary —that collectively showcase the innovation and creativity of women-owned businesses across Texas. 

In addition to funding, CWE has conducted more than 300 training sessions to equip women business owners with the skills, strategies, and resources needed to sustain a successful enterprise. The Center has also received a number of accolades and awards, including the Educate Award (2022) from the Denton Chamber of Commerce, as well as University of the Year (2025), Corporate Supporter of the Year (2024) and BIPOC Corporate Champion awards (2024) from the DEC Network.

Overview of CWE Programs

AccelerateHER
This immersive program fast-tracks early-stage, women-owned startups into scalable businesses. Six entrepreneurs are selected to participate in each cohort, gaining access to expert-led education and resources through CWE and its statewide partners.

To date, the rotating program has served women-owned businesses in Denton, Dallas, Houston, Abilene, Mission, Austin, and Corpus Christi.

Veteran Woman Grant
Designed to boost economic development, this grant supports innovative projects by veteran woman-owned small businesses across Texas.

Texas Rural Woman Grant
This grant empowers rural women entrepreneurs to pursue new ideas and expand business opportunities in underserved communities.

StartHER Grant
Aimed at startups, the StartHER Grant helps women-owned businesses launch innovative new initiatives and build early-stage momentum.

"According to the Office of the Governor, Texas is home to 1.3 million women owned businesses,” said Shannon Mantaro, Executive Director and Chief Officer for the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership.“Clearly, investing in women entrepreneurs is a smart move for our state’s economic development. Over the past decade, CWE has proven that with the right resources and relationships, women will build businesses that thrive. We’re proud of the thousands  of women we’ve partnered with, and we can’t wait to meet the next generation of Texas changemakers. If you’re ready to take your vision to the next level, CWE is ready to help.”

Investing in Visionaries

From Dallas to Houston, from Abilene to Longview, the stories behind CWE grant recipients across Texas are as vibrant and varied as Texas itself. A few examples of recently awarded CWE grants include: Embody Health (Keller), a women’s health clinic offering holistic, compassionate care; Clean Eatz (College Station), a franchise promoting wellness through balanced meals and fitness education; ATX Supper Club (Austin), a dining adventure community creating inclusive connections through beautiful meals; and Rose Soiree (Corpus Christi), a creative floral studio specializing in events and workshops.

Grants awarded prior to 2025 have supported a host of innovative businesses across the state, such as Centro de Consejeria Familiar (Arlington), providing culturally sensitive counseling to Latino families; Copano Oyster Company (Austin), promoting sustainable coastal practices; and Game Theory TX (Fort Worth), a scratch kitchen and board game bar focused on community. Other CWE-supported businesses include boutique storefronts, youth education enterprises, a baby supply vending machine company, and a natural personal care product brand for people with chronic skin conditions.

A Legacy of Leadership

CWE is a flagship program of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University, the nation’s largest woman-focused university system. The Institute’s three centers—the Center for Student Leadership, the Center for Women in Government, and the Center for Women Entrepreneurs—are united by a common mission: preparing women to lead.

Upcoming Funding Opportunity

Applications for the StartHER Grant open August 26 and close September 26. These grants support women-owned startups in launching new initiatives and driving early-stage growth. Other grant programs—including those for veterans and rural entrepreneurs—will open in phases throughout the year.

For full eligibility and deadlines, visit https://twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs/grant-dates/.

ABOUT THE JANE NELSON INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP

The Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University is dedicated to preparing women for successful careers in business and public service.

Its three specialized centers—Center for Student Leadership, Center for Women Entrepreneurs and Center for Women in Government—ensure women have the education to establish careers as successful executives, the skills for building entrepreneurial businesses and the framework needed to excel in public service.

ABOUT TWU

Texas Woman’s University is the nation’s largest woman-focused university system with campuses in Denton, Dallas, and Houston. Founded in 1901, TWU has built a reputation on contributions in nursing, healthcare, education, the arts and sciences, and business. TWU’s inclusive culture prioritizes experiential learning, leadership, service, discovery, and health and well-being, and national media have recognized the university as a top college for student-parents, veterans, and social mobility. In 2023, TWU publicly launched Dream Big, a fundraising effort that has raised more than $160 million to date to support programming, equipment, scholarships, and faculty. To learn more about the campaign or the university, visit dreambig.twu.eduor twu.edu, or connect with TWU on Facebook @TexasWomansUniversity, Instagram @txwomans, Twitter @txwomans, and LinkedIn @texaswomansuniversity.

 Miller received the honor of Dental Teacher of the Year for the fifth time since he began teaching part-time in 1973in the fixed prosthodontics department at the then-Baylor College of Dentistry, his alma mater. He also earned it in 1992, 2005, 2011 and 2018. Miller remains a constant presence on campus, having taught a wide range of courses, from preclinical to graduate prosthodontics.  

 He currently teaches fixed prosthodontics, operative dentistry and removable prosthodontics in the predoctoral program and is part of the advanced education in general dentistry program and the graduate prosthodontics program. Additionally, Miller serves as the interim assistant department head of comprehensive dentistry.  

 He graduated from dental college in 1973 and earned a prosthodontic certificate in 1980. Miller served as interim chair and later chair of restorative sciences, director of curriculum and briefly as interim associate dean for clinical affairs at various times. 

 Cowen said her path into teaching was rooted in a passion for patient care and a deep respect for the role dental hygienists have in providing education.  

Cowen is an active member of the American Dental Education Association, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Dental Hygiene Educators of Texas and the Association for Dental Safety. 

Open Palette, the signature restaurant inside the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, invites guests to indulge in bold, locally inspired cuisine during the highly anticipated DFW Restaurant Week 2025. Available for both lunch and dinner, Open Palette’s curated menus blend classic comfort with creative Southwestern flair – perfect for an elevated dining experience in the heart of downtown Dallas. The menus will be available for the entire campaign, from August 4 to August 31.

The $29 lunch menu features crowd-pleasers like warm jalapeño cornbread with goat cheese crumble or queso fundido with chorizo to start, followed by savory main options such as a house-smoked BBQ pork sandwich or a chile relleno with chicken tinga and avocado crema.

For an elevated evening out, the $59 dinner menu offers a three-course journey: begin with fluffy jalapeño cornbread or a refreshing three-bean salad, followed by entrées like house-smoked BBQ chicken with mac & cheese or mussels and clams in a roasted tomato broth. Finish with a decadent coconut flan or tres leches topped with macerated cherries.

Open Palette is a can’t-miss stop this DFW Restaurant Week. Reserve your spots now at OpenTable and experience Dallas dining done right. Complimentary parking is available for up to 4 hours. Please bring your parking ticket and present it to your server for validation.

Open Palette is located at Sheraton Dallas (400 N. Olive Street).