The Speaker is a highly confident, divine Black woman who serves as the central, first-person voice of the poem. She possesses supernatural powers and immense creative force, claiming responsibility for building ancient wonders and generating valuable natural resources like gold and uranium from her own body. As a mother, she raises famous historical and mythological figures, viewing herself as an omnipotent embodiment of the earth, divine power, and Black female pride.

Nefertiti is the daughter of the Speaker and shares the name of an ancient Egyptian queen. She inherits her mother's divine nature, existing as a goddess in her own right. Her presence establishes the Speaker's pride in her offspring and the continuation of divine qualities through generations of Black women.

Hannibal is one of the Speaker's sons, mirroring the historical Carthaginian general known for challenging the Roman Republic. In the poem's narrative, he is an impressive figure who gifts his mother the entire city of Rome for Mother's Day, while receiving an elephant for his third birthday.

Noah is presented as another son of the Speaker, sharing his name with the biblical patriarch. Within the poem, he is credited with building the "new/ark," linking ancient biblical themes of rescue with the modern historical significance of the city of Newark for Black Americans.

Allah is the God of Islam, presented in the poem as a casual peer to the Speaker. They sit together on a throne sharing a drink of nectar, demonstrating that the Speaker holds equal status and authority to the highest patriarchal figures of major world religions.

Jesus is the Christian savior, whom the Speaker embodies and physically transforms into during the poem. By taking on his form, the Speaker claims the religious praises that all men offer, asserting her own divine infallibility and ultimate spiritual supremacy.