James is a young Black civil rights activist traveling through Mississippi during the Freedom Summer Project of 1964. Operating as the narrator of the poem, he details his experiences advocating for voter registration while facing extreme hostility. He holds deeply to his faith in the movement, carrying a physical token of hope to ground him when facing the terrifying atmosphere of the segregated South.

Mickey is a volunteer for the Freedom Summer Project who travels to Mississippi to assist with voter registration. He operates with a realistic understanding of the danger they face, bluntly warning his friends about the corruption of the local police. He acts as a grounded, pragmatic presence next to James.

Andrew is the third member of the trio of young activists working for the Freedom Summer Project. Like his friends, he leaves the relative safety of his home to register Black voters in Mississippi. He shares in the group's terror when they are targeted by local authorities.

Sheriff Price is a local law enforcement officer in Longdale, Mississippi. He represents the corrupt and violent power structures of the segregated South. Instead of protecting the young activists, he actively coordinates with local vigilante groups to trap and intimidate the trio.

A local barber working in Meridian, Mississippi. He serves as a symbol of the local Black population that the Freedom Summer Project volunteers have come to assist. He interacts with James during a brief moment of normalcy before the violence escalates.

Rita is Mickey's wife and a dedicated advocate for the civil rights movement. She understands the racial dynamics of the country and actively works to support the cause, highly aware of the dangers her husband and his friends face in Mississippi.