Starr is a 16-year-old Black girl who moves between two distinct environments: her lower-income, predominantly Black neighborhood of Garden Heights, and Williamson Prep, the affluent, mostly white private school she attends. She carefully code-switches to fit into both social circles, keeping her personas separate. Her daily routine is upended when she becomes the sole witness to a traumatic act of police violence against her friend.

Khalil is Starr's childhood friend and former crush who grew distant after she transferred schools. He is a charismatic teenager who recently turned to dealing drugs out of desperation to support his family and pay off his mother's debts. His fatal shooting by a police officer during a routine traffic stop serves as the catalyst for the novel's central events.

Maverick, often called Mav, is Starr's father, a respected grocery store owner, and a former member of the King Lords gang. Having served three years in prison, he successfully left gang life and now focuses entirely on providing for his family. He teaches his children the philosophies of Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, demanding they take pride in their heritage.

Lisa is Starr's mother, a hardworking nurse employed at a local Garden Heights clinic. She is highly protective of her family and serves as a strict but loving moral anchor for her children. Having become pregnant as a teenager, she completely transformed her life and now works tirelessly to secure a safer living environment for her family.

King is the wealthy and violent leader of the King Lords, a prominent gang in Garden Heights. He maintains control of the neighborhood through intimidation and economic exploitation. He views loyalty as absolute and poses a severe physical threat to anyone who challenges his operations or attempts to leave his gang.

Brian Cruise, known predominantly to Starr by his badge number "115", is the white police officer who conducts the fatal traffic stop. His immediate assumptions and racial profiling escalate a minor situation into a deadly shooting. He serves as the human face of systemic racism within law enforcement.

Carlos is Lisa's brother and a police detective who lives in a wealthy, gated suburb. He helped raise Starr and her brothers while Maverick was in prison, creating lingering resentment between the two men. As both a Black man and a police officer, Carlos acts as a bridge between two heavily conflicted institutions.

Chris is Starr's wealthy, white boyfriend who attends Williamson Prep. He shares Starr's love of *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* and sneaker culture. Though well-intentioned and deeply caring, his privileged upbringing gives him blind spots regarding race that he must actively address as he learns more about Starr's reality.

Seven is Starr's older half-brother. He shares a father with Starr and a mother with Kenya. He is highly protective of his sisters and feels a heavy burden of responsibility to shield his mother, Iesha, and his half-sisters from King's abusive behavior, even considering abandoning his college plans to remain in Garden Heights as their protector.

Hailey is one of Starr's close friends at Williamson Prep and the self-appointed leader of their social trio. She bonded with Starr years earlier over shared grief, but she frequently exhibits unexamined white privilege through everyday actions, making casually racist comments and growing defensive when challenged.

April is a dedicated attorney and activist who leads a civil rights organization. She steps in to help Starr manage the legal and public relations challenges of being a witness to a high-profile police shooting. She firmly encourages Starr to use her voice to demand accountability from the justice system.

DeVante is a teenager from Garden Heights who recently joined the King Lords gang out of a desire for belonging. After his brother is killed, he steals money from King in a desperate bid to help his family escape the neighborhood, putting his own life in direct peril and forcing him to seek sanctuary.

Kenya is Starr's childhood friend and Seven's half-sister. Bold and highly vocal, she lives in Garden Heights with her mother Iesha and father King. She frequently pushes Starr to be more involved in their home neighborhood and not forget where she comes from, acting as a tether to Starr's roots.

Maya is a close Asian American friend of Starr's at Williamson Prep. She plays on the school basketball team and dates the only other Black student in their grade. She eventually forms an alliance with Starr to speak out against the casual racism they both experience in their friend group.

Sekani is Starr's younger brother. He is a bright, observant child who looks up to his older siblings. The family works hard to protect him from the harsh realities of Garden Heights, though the escalating tensions in the neighborhood make this increasingly difficult.

Iesha is King's girlfriend, as well as the mother of Seven, Kenya, and Lyric. She is heavily involved in King's abusive and dangerous lifestyle, causing significant friction between her and her son Seven, who resents her choices and fears for his sisters' safety.

Mr. Lewis is the elderly owner of the barbershop next door to Maverick's grocery store. He is a stubborn, outspoken neighborhood barber who refuses to be intimidated by local gangs, frequently putting himself at physical risk to speak the truth on local news broadcasts.

Ms. Rosalie is Khalil's grandmother. She raised him and his younger brother due to their mother's struggles with addiction. She has a long history of supporting Starr's family, having provided shelter to Lisa when she was a pregnant teenager.

Natasha was Starr's best childhood friend. When they were eleven years old, Natasha was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting while playing near a fire hydrant. Her death deeply shapes Starr's reaction to neighborhood violence and police brutality.