Frederick Simmons was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri where he became involved in community activism at an early age. After training in Atlanta to become an electrician, Simmons moved to Seattle and spent his first two years working as a day laborer and a warehouse supervisor. Soon after enrolling in an electrician apprenticeship program, he became active in efforts to organize a Seattle Chapter of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus (EWMC) within IBEW Local 46. In 1996, Simmons was elected as the first President of the Local 46 EWMC. He currently serves as a Board Member for Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing (LELO).

Frederick Simmons shared his memories and thoughts about union reform and working class movements in an interview conducted by Nicole Grant and Trevor Griffey on May 15, 2005. Video editing by Daren Salter. Work on this interview was made possible by a grant from 4Culture/King County Lodging Tax.