Freda Player graduated magna cum laude in political science from Fisk University, where she was also Student Government President. In 2003, she graduated from George Washington University with a Master’s of Arts degree in Political Management.

She began her professional political career with the Al Gore 2000 Presidential campaign. Freda continued her political career first as the Voter Outreach Coordinator and then as the Political Director at the Tennessee Democratic Party until 2008. In 2007, she ran for a seat on the Metro Council.

In 2008, she was State Director of the Tennessee Change that Works campaign. Freda led a grassroots campaign to persuade the Tennessee Congressional Delegation to vote for the Affordable Care Act.

She has attended four DNC Conventions. In 2012, she was elected as a Barack Obama Delegate for 5th Congressional District and in 2016 she was elected as a Hillary Clinton Delegate. In 2024, Freda was elected as a Kamala Harris delegate for the 6th Congressional District. 

From 2010 to 2018, Freda was the Political Director of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 205. She is responsible for all lobbying, advocacy and electoral efforts for Local 205 in the state of Tennessee and served on the International Public Division Leadership Board.

In April 2018, joined the Mayor David Briley’s administration as his Senior Legislative Advisor and continued for the transition for Mayor Cooper’s administration. She was the second woman and first African-American to hold this position. 

Freda have also served as the Chair of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, co-founder of Fisk University Young Alumni Association, former co-founder and co-chair Nashville New Leaders Council, former Membership Chair of Nashville League of Voters, former Member At-Large Board Member of the Tennessee League of Voters and a former Steering Committee Member of A.W.A.K.E, former Treasurer of Tennessee Citizen Action, and co-founder, Vice Chair, Executive Director of Emerge Tennessee.

Currently, Freda Player serves on the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education as her second year as Chair. She was the Vice Chair for two years and former Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee for four years representing District 7.