Sabrina Greenlee | "From Victim to Victor"

Photographed by Sean Coleman.

To find the courage to keep going, to locate your strength in times of darkness, is one of life’s greatest gifts. Without it, even the most trivial ruts or setbacks would be enough to ruin our progress, and we wouldn’t get anywhere in our personal development journey. Sabrina Greenlee is a testament to that courage—not only sharing her story but inspiring others to get out of situations she was once in.

Greenlee is the mother of superstar NFL player DeAndre Hopkins, and was injured in an attack twenty years ago that left her blind, but far be it from her to let these two things define her. She’s carving out her own path and journey with S.M.O.O.O.T.H. (Speaking Mentally, Outwardly, Opening Opportunities Towards Healing), of which she’s the founder and CEO. The organization aims to empower women and bring them the tools and opportunities to get out of domestic violence situations. One program, the Pretty Scars into Stars Initiative, helps specific women with cosmetic touch-ups like massages, facials, and and anything else, she says, to help the women practice self-love and self-care. Though she spoke at the Women’s March in Houston last October and continues to be prolific in her work, she’s far from done. Greenlee is gearing up to share her story with the world with a memoir and a film with BRON studios, to be released sometime in the future.

Flaunt caught up with the superstar activist to see what she’s up to, and how she has the time to fit everything in her schedule.

Photographed by Sean Coleman.

Hi Sabrina! I heard you’re getting ready to write your memoir, which is so exciting! What has the process been like so far?

It’s actually been exciting! My writer and I, we kind of buckled down for three months and just decided to talk to each other and get it done, so now we’re shopping for publishers. I just got word today that we have interviews coming, so I’m really excited about that.

Are there any memoirists or writers who have influenced your work so far?

Oh, absolutely. Taraji P. Henson’s book, Around the Way Girl, had a big influence on me wanting to do my own memoir because it was so authentic. So when she talked about the people that had influence in her life, she spoke in a way that was just authentic, and I said, ‘I want my book written like that.’ So definitely that book influenced me.

So not only that, but you’re partnering with BRON studios to make a feature about your life. How has that been coming along, and what’s the message you want viewers to take away from the movie?

So far, it’s been amazing. We’re actually in the developmental stages. Due to the pandemic, of course as with a lot of people, it was a setback. But now we’re back. The script has been written, and I’ve signed off on it—it’s really exciting. We’re looking for a director right now and hopefully in 2023 we’ll be in the production stages. 

Doing a movie—actually being in the stages of development and everything like that—has been exciting. Of course, I’ve never done it before, but I’m really excited to see what’s gonna happen.

To answer your other question, I want readers from the book, of course, and from the movie, to be inspired, to be moved by everything that I’ve been through. Not only that, but I also want to implement the tools for them in the movie and the book—which will be coming out simultaneously, I might add—and be inspired, because we need that right now, with everything going on.

You’re the CEO of S.M.O.O.O.T.H. (Speaking Mentally, Outwardly Opening Opportunities Towards Healing), which aims to educate and help women through counseling and outreach. How has it been to run the program for almost 10 years now?

Ten years… It’s been a long process. I feel like we have arrived. So, to actually get out and help women in the transitional stages as they’re coming from shelters to—what I call is “from victim to victor”—we supply the tools and necessary materials for them to find themselves all over again. It’s rewarding. It’s been one of the best things for me to do with women. 

What’s been the most rewarding point or event of the non-profit’s journey?

When you get the testimonials from women who literally took the courage to get out of domestic violence, get out of that situation, and I know that what I did and the women in the organization had an impact on that—it’s just rewarding to get the testimonials and you read, ‘I would not have made it otherwise.’ There are many stories—during the pandemic, we helped [people] who were living in a car and they both had COVID. We literally went to their rescue and put them in a hotel. Things like that—it’s just so rewarding, as a CEO.

So you also have some projects within S.M.O.O.O.T.H., like the Pretty Scars into Stars Initiative, which helps women discover inner beauty through cosmetic touch-ups like facials, massages, teeth whitening, and make-up services. What sparked this idea?

When I was going through domestic violence, I realized that there was no one who said, ‘Take care of yourself.’ I wanted to show women that, you know, self love and self care is very important. Just to give back to women and let them know that once you’ve taken the courage to get out, just love on yourself. So I’m really excited about these programs I had set up. 

You’ve also started the 100 Shades of Purple Initiative. Talk a little about that and what you work with there.

This is an annual virtual event that—this will be the second year coming up. So on this event, we aim to empower and educate women on the prevention and education of domestic violence, tools that they can take. We have guest speakers, so with that in mind, what I wanted to do—and the reason I came up with the name ‘100 Shades,’ I wanted to let everyone know and change the narrative that we all wear a shade of purple, whether you’re a survivor, whether you’re an advocate, or if you just had a neighbor you helped get out of that situation. We all wear a shade of purple, and that was the reason behind the event. I want everyone to know that when you turn into this virtual event, that we all fight together.

You said it’s been two years going and entirely virtual—did you come up with that idea during the pandemic or was it something that was initially in-person?

As with most ideas, I came up with it during the pandemic. It pushed me to go virtual. Initially it was an idea where we would gather in front of a monumental building and bring balloons, but the pandemic pushed me into doing it virtually. I wouldn’t change it—it was amazing last year. It reached more people, I might add.

So the pandemic has been productive for you, a lot of time to think and do more projects?

Definitely—I have a lot on my hands already, but adding the 100 Shades of Purple was just another way to change the narrative of taking domestic violence and allowing people to understand that it doesn’t start there—it starts with domestic abuse, and so that’s what that is about.

You’re a mother and grandmother, and on top of that you’re doing all of these great projects. How do you have the time to do so?

It’s not easy. I’m a good delegator. I delegate other tasks to other people. Just not taking on more than I can handle, so I can find the time for the grandbabies and myself. I’m really big on taking one day out of the week and just relaxing. Tuning out everything, turning on the Alexa, listening to a book, and tuning out the sounds of the world. Really big on taking that one day.

Your son, DeAndre Hopkins, is currently succeeding in the NFL. How has it been watching him succeed at the same time as you?

It’s very rewarding. We actually talk and just uplift each other. Our little phrase that we send to each other is ‘Let’s get it.’ We started it at the games when I was screaming while he was making these amazing touchdowns and handing me the ball, and now we continue that. Let’s get it. So we encourage each other a lot. It’s very rewarding to see DeAndre stepping into the man that I always knew he would be, but we definitely inspire and educate each other.

Something really inspiring about your story is the line “From victim to victor,” referencing how domestic abuse and other issues shouldn’t put a hold on one’s life. How has your personal journey with this idea been, and how do you have this courage and strength?

Definitely my faith. I could not have written this book or even thought about his movie five, six years ago. I was still living in fear, still broken, but I put the work in, the tools to just get up everyday and face whatever it was. I’m excited now about all these things that I have going on, but it’s definitely my faith and just continuing to get up everyday and having the courage to move, get up, not let things keep me down. My faith has a lot to do with where I am.

Definitely—a lot of people could get overwhelmed with all of these projects but the fact that you’re excited about it is great, and have the motivation to do it and put your whole heart into it. 

Oh, yeah. It takes a lot, and you have to take it one day at a time. Especially where I come from, and where I was, to now, I look back and know it was nothing but my faith that kept me going.

I’m always interested in the downtime of the lives of hard workers like you. What do you do for fun? How do you relax after a long day of work, or during your one day of the week?

The one day of the week! I listen to books through Audible because I’m legally blind, so just taking that downtime. Another thing that’s relaxing is calling the grandbabies. Hearing their voices, seeing what they’re up to—I have six grandbabies, and they’re all under the age of eight, so they always have something going on. So it kind of takes me out of my work mode and into ‘Gigi’ mode.

What are some of your favorite books you’ve listened to? You mentioned Taraji P. Henson’s before, which I want to add to my list now.

Oh, you have to. You have to listen to—well I said listen, because I’m on Audible, but you can read them. Charlemagne’s new book—he talks about mental health. I’m really really big on mental health. Joyce Meyer—I’m all about the inspirational books, taking things in—Joyce Meyer has a new book out. I think that’s about it.

Looking towards the future, what’s next? Any initiatives or projects that are still on your mind? Anything you want to go for, or wait until the book and movie is out and the dust has settled?

I have my hands full. Now, what I am pondering on is a cosmetic line. Because I’m always looking for new ways to pamper and love on women, I’m thinking about coming out with my own cosmetic line, so that women like myself who have scars and blemishes and discoloration can still feel beautiful. So, stay tuned!