Laurel is the story's narrator, a member of an all-Black Brownie troop attending a summer camp in the American South. Often referred to by the nickname "Snot" by her peers, she lives in an all-Black suburb south of Atlanta. As an observer rather than an instigator, Laurel often serves as a quiet voice of reason, though her fellow troop members frequently ignore her attempts to de-escalate their plans for revenge. She prefers to process events internally, connecting her present experiences at camp to memories of her family.

Arnetta is the unspoken leader of Laurel's Brownie troop. Outspoken, bold, and highly demanding, she easily commands the attention and obedience of the other girls. She firmly believes her own perceptions and is quick to mobilize the troop into action when she decides Troop 909 has committed an unforgivable offense. Her confident social maneuvering makes her the primary driver of the group's planned retaliation.

Daphne is a quiet, unassuming member of the Brownie troop who recently won a journal for a prize-winning poem. She rarely speaks and is perceived as particularly poor compared to the other girls. When Arnetta accuses a Troop 909 member of insulting Daphne, her ambiguous response allows the troop's revenge plot to move forward without her explicit confirmation or denial.

Octavia acts as the unofficial vice president of the Brownie troop. She holds a fair amount of social clout but generally plays second fiddle to Arnetta. As the daughter of the parent chaperone, Mrs. Hedy, she frequently mirrors Arnetta's actions and opinions to maintain her high status in the group's hierarchy.

Janice is a member of the Brownie troop whom the other girls secretly mock for her rural background. Described as "country," she lacks the social grace of Arnetta and Octavia but functions as their willing crony. She is eager to prove herself and aggressively pushes for physical violence when the girls begin planning their confrontation.

Mrs. Hedy is Octavia's mother and the parent helper for the Brownie troop. Preoccupied with an impending divorce, she frequently seeks emotional comfort from the young girls under her care, asking them to sing Brownie songs to distract her from her personal troubles.

Mrs. Margolin is the formal troop leader for Laurel's Brownie troop. She dresses in a showy fashion and views her position as an evangelical post, frequently injecting religious songs and acronyms into the girls' camp experience while expecting strict adherence to her rules.

The nameless leader of Troop 909 is a white woman with a severe, Ancient Egyptian-style pageboy hairdo. She acts as a counterpart to Mrs. Margolin, responsible for managing the girls in her own troop during the camp session.

Elise is a minor member of Laurel's Brownie troop who rarely speaks but faithfully follows along with the group's activities. She is present during the tense buildup to the confrontation with Troop 909 in the camp bathrooms.

Drema is another minor member of the Brownie troop. Like Elise, she generally follows the group's lead, though she occasionally expresses concern about the potential for getting hurt in physical altercations.

Laurel's father is a man who has faced racism throughout his life. In a memory Laurel shares with the troop, he encounters a group of Mennonites and leverages their religious obligations to have them paint his porch, creating a complex dynamic of power and free labor.

A prominent member of Troop 909, referred to only as the "big girl" by Laurel's troop. She becomes the primary target of Arnetta's accusations during the tense standoff in the camp bathrooms.