James Byrd, Jr. is a 49-year-old Black man who suffers a horrific, racially motivated murder in Jasper, Texas. In the poem, his severed head acts as the speaker, demanding answers about humanity, brotherhood, and the enduring nature of racial violence. Before the attack, he is known as an intelligent, musically talented man who walks through town and cares deeply for his children.

Shawn Berry is a 23-year-old white man who previously knew James Byrd, Jr. from a brief time in a prison boot camp. Instead of driving his acquaintance home, he and two others take Byrd to a remote country road to commit a brutal hate crime.

Lawrence Brewer is a 31-year-old white supremacist linked to the Ku Klux Klan and racist prison gangs. He acts as one of the main perpetrators who chains Byrd to a truck and drags him to his death, expressing pride rather than remorse for his actions.

John King is a 23-year-old white supremacist tied to racist prison gangs and the Ku Klux Klan. Along with Berry and Brewer, he actively participates in the beating, torture, and dragging death of James Byrd, Jr.

She is the child of James Byrd, Jr. She represents the future generation left to process the horror of her father's lynching. The speaker worries about how this violence will affect her and what legacy she inherits in a racially divided society.

Ross Byrd is the son of James Byrd, Jr. Following the tragedy, he involves himself with organizations dedicated to racial healing. He chooses a path of reconciliation, participating in groups that oppose capital punishment for perpetrators of violence.

The townsfolk are the residents living near where the brutal crime occurs. They gather to sing songs of civil rights and resilience, but their well-meaning actions highlight the impotence of peaceful platitudes while the community continues to suffer from racial violence.