Nancy Lee is a 17-year-old high school senior and a dedicated student who excels in academics, basketball, and the glee club. Proud of her African heritage and her American identity, she is an optimistic young woman who aspires to be an artist. She submits a watercolor painting of a spring city park to the Artist Club Scholarship competition, hoping to secure the funds needed to attend the city's prestigious art academy.

Miss Dietrich is an art teacher at the city's largest high school who actively brings out the best in her students. Unlike instructors who focus on imitating classical painters, she encourages her classes to discover their original visions through trial and error. She guides Nancy Lee's artistic growth and teaches her students to create clean, sharp, and individual worlds on their canvases.

Miss O'Shay is the elderly vice-principal at Nancy Lee's high school. As a school administrator, she interacts directly with the student body regarding official matters and academic awards. She serves as an authority figure within the school, taking a personal interest in the academic success of promising seniors.

Mr. Johnson is Nancy Lee's father, a postal employee who works hard to provide a comfortable middle-class life for his family. He relocated his family from the rural South to a sprawling Midwestern city specifically to ensure his daughter receives a quality education free from oppressive segregation.

Mrs. Johnson is Nancy Lee's mother, a professional social worker who holds a master's degree earned in the city. Alongside her husband, she creates a loving and stable home environment that instills pride in their African roots while supporting Nancy Lee's high school achievements.

Joe Williams is a student at the high school and an artist. He holds the title of the previous year's winner of the school's prestigious art competition, having submitted an abstract, modernist painting of a bridge that contrasts with more traditional styles.