DeDreana Freeman

DeDreana Irene Freeman (born September 30, 1977) is an American politician, civic leader, and non-profit executive. She was elected to serve on the Durham City Council in 2017 and re-elected in 2021 before losing to Matt Kopac in 2025.

Freeman also serves as the Director of Thread Capital and the Director of Partnership Development at CornerSquare Community Capital of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. She is active in the National League of Cities, as part of the Transportation and Infrastructure Federal Advocacy Program, and served on the League's Racial Equity and Leadership Council. Freeman served as president of the North Carolina League of Cities' Women in Municipal Government Committee. An Episcopalian, she co-founded Episcopalians United Against Racism and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina's Racial Justice and Reconciliation Committee, the latter of which she has served as co-chair since 2016.

Early life and education Freeman was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on September 30, 1977. She grew up in the Bronx and was raised in a single-parent household and, as the oldest of six children, helped raise her siblings.

Politics In 2016, Freeman was appointed to the State Executive Board of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Freeman was reelected in 2021 for a second term, due to expire in 2025. In 2022, she was among the councilmembers who voted in favor of a pilot program with the gunshot detection company ShotSpotter.

On February 6, 2023, Freeman and Durham Mayor Elaine O'Neal voted against the annexation of twenty-four parcels of land in Southeast Durham for a housing development. In a 5-2 decision, the council voted to annex Mockingbird Lane and Sherron Road for the construction of up to 545 townhouses. Weeks later, Freeman filed to run for the North Carolina Senate against incumbent Sophia Chitlik in the 2026 election.

Community advocacy and civic leadership Freeman has been active in the National League of Cities as part of their Transportation and Infrastructure Federal Advocacy program and served on the League's Racial Equity and Leadership Council. After a council meeting regarding the allegations, Freeman and Middleton argued in a room outside the council chamber, where Freeman was heard yelling expletives at him.

In June 2023, Durham city attorney Kimberly Rehberg, at the requests of Freeman, Holsey-Hyman, and O'Neal, sent a certified letter to the Wikimedia Foundation requesting the identities of three Wikipedia editors who had worked on the politicians' articles to be revealed, along with individual changes requested to be made to the aforementioned articles. Freeman in particular contended the inclusion of information surrounding her public defense of Holsey-Hyman, stating it to be "unflattering", and that she felt "deep unease" that the same user who had created Holsey-Hyman's article had also created her own article. It was later confirmed by a Wikimedia Foundation spokeswoman that the letter was incorrectly addressed and never received.

On August 5, 2025, Freeman repeatedly poked Durham County Commission chair Nida Allam in a recorded confrontation at a candidate forum hosted by People's Alliance PAC. Allam stated the jabs left bruising and fellow Durham City Councilmmeber Javiera Caballero, who is seen in the video attempting to defuse the situation, told The News & Observer that "What I observed was one-sided; it was not a discussion or an argument, [Allam] was completely caught off guard by Councilwoman Freeman.”

Personal life Freeman moved to the Golden Belt Historic District in 2007. She is married and has three children.

Freeman, who is Episcopalian, is a co-founder and core team leader of Episcopalians United Against Racism and a co-founder of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina's Racial Justice and Reconciliation Committee, where she has served as co-chair since 2016.