Myers’s adoptive mother, who plays a significant role in nurturing his love for reading and writing despite her own struggles with life's disappointments and financial challenges.

Myers’s adoptive father, a janitor and former Navy serviceman whose traditional views on masculinity and self-reliance create tension with Myers but who nonetheless supports his son's writing ambitions.

A local man with a troubled past whom Myers befriends, finding in him a sense of kinship despite his mother's disapproval.

Myers’s close childhood friend who shares his mischievousness and academic aptitude but faces different racial and financial challenges as he matures.

A psychologist tasked with helping a troubled Myers, who identifies his complex feelings about his racial identity.

A pivotal influence during Myers’s senior year at Stuyvesant, she encourages and nurtures his passion for reading and writing, helping him evolve as a writer.

Myers’s sixth-grade teacher who recognizes his academic potential and recommends him for an accelerated program, significantly impacting his educational path.

Myers’s ninth-grade English and homeroom teacher, who introduces him to new literary forms and encourages his intellectual growth.

Myers’s fifth-grade teacher who uses his punishment as an opportunity to foster his love of reading, gradually nurturing his literary interests.

Myers’s grandfather, whose traditional views and lifestyle clash with those of the modern household, adding financial and emotional strain.

Herbert's brother who, after a stint in jail, is a significant influence on the family before his untimely death.

Myers’s older brother, with whom he shares sports interests but eventually drifts apart as their educational paths diverge.

Myers’s older half-sisters, who are adopted along with him but have moved out by the time he reaches adolescence.

Neighbors of the Deans, with Mrs. Dodson initially being a disciplinarian figure in Myers's life but later revealed to be kind-hearted.

Herbert Dean’s sister, known for her kindness and early work in a bakery and later as a marriage broker, who cares for Myers when he is young.

Myers’s younger sister, characterized as intelligent and spirited, though not someone he grows particularly close to.

Myers’s biological father, whom he meets later in life, and who is described briefly in the memoir.

Myers’s biological mother, who passed away shortly after his sister’s birth, and with whom Myers had no direct contact.