The Narrator is an unnamed Black girl living in a low-income New York City neighborhood. She lives in a crowded apartment with her aunt and cousins while her mother lives independently up the block. Brash and openly resistant to authority, she resents neighborhood educational outings and prefers acting tough. Despite her defensive exterior, she is highly sensitive to the social dynamics around her and actively resists feeling pitied or out of place.

Sugar is the narrator’s cousin, best friend, and constant partner in mischief. She shares a living space with the narrator and Junior under Aunt Gretchen's supervision. Together, the two girls share a love for neighborhood gossip and rebellious behavior. However, beneath her defiant attitude, Sugar is more conventional and willing to give authority figures the answers they want to hear.

Miss Moore is a college-educated, unmarried woman who recently moved into the neighborhood and takes it upon herself to educate the local children. She stands out due to her formal manners, lack of feminine artifice, and persistent attempts to expose the youth to broader social realities. Her well-meaning lessons often come across as bossy and emotionally disconnected from the children's actual experiences.

Aunt Gretchen is the long-suffering aunt of the narrator, Sugar, and Junior. She takes on the responsibility of raising the children in her New York City apartment while their mothers live independently up the block. She provides the primary domestic stability for the extended family.

Junior is the younger cousin of the narrator and Sugar. He lives in the same apartment under Aunt Gretchen's supervision while his mother lives elsewhere, sharing in the cramped living arrangements of the extended family.

Mercedes is a girl from the neighborhood who joins the educational outing to Fifth Avenue. She distinguishes herself from the group by maintaining a proper and ladylike composure, even when the rest of the children feel entirely out of place.

Flyboy is one of the neighborhood boys who tags along on Miss Moore's unannounced trip. He actively participates in the chaotic, noisy energy of the group before they reach the wealthier parts of the city.

Fat Butt is a neighborhood boy in the narrator's peer group. He joins the trip to Fifth Avenue and casually eats his lunch ahead of schedule, contributing to the group's unruly dynamic.