Me is an urban farmer and the narrator of the story, living in the agrarian section of the marginalized town of Dickens, California. Raised as a test subject by his sociologist father, he struggles to align with societal expectations regarding race, famously checking "some other race" on the census and writing in "Californian." He is resourceful, tied to his local community, and takes it upon himself to literally redraw the borders of his disappearing hometown.

F. K. is Me's father, an interim dean of psychology at a local community college, and the founder of the Dum Dum Donut Intellectuals think tank. He serves the Dickens community as their unofficial therapist, de-escalating local crises. Despite his community service, his approach to parenting involves treating his son as a test subject in severe behavioral experiments designed to instill a rigid sense of racial pride.

Foy is a prolific author, television personality, and the current leader of the local think tank. He frequently rewrites classic literature to remove offensive language, creating highly sanitized versions of historical texts for profit. Deeply invested in his own brand and public image, he views Me as a direct threat and serves as a sharp contrast to F. K.'s community-oriented philosophy.

Hominy is an aging former child actor who starred in the controversial and heavily stereotyped *Our Gang* shorts. Traumatized by his past and the erasure of his hometown, he firmly ties his identity to his offensive acting roles. Desperate for structure and relevance after Dickens vanishes from the map, he insists on becoming Me's enslaved person, using the performative subjugation to anchor his sense of self.

Marpessa is Me's childhood sweetheart who works as a competent, no-nonsense city bus driver in Los Angeles. Outspoken and highly intelligent, she opted out of the corporate world to maintain her independence and authority over her own life. Though she is married to a television actor and has four children, she rekindles a complex romantic dynamic with Me and dictates the terms of their interactions.

Charisma is the Mexican-American assistant principal at Chaff Middle School and Marpessa's best friend. She is highly focused on improving her school's academic standing and maintaining strict discipline among the student body. Observing the pacifying effect of Me's controversial segregation signs on the local transit bus, she actively encourages him to bring similar boundaries to her middle school.

King Cuz is a sensitive, forward-thinking gang leader of the local Crips who famously brings medical professionals to gang battles. He demonstrates the unique intellect present within Dickens's marginalized population. He becomes an early supporter of Me's efforts to redraw the town's borders and frequently attends the donut shop think tank meetings.

Hampton is Me's flamboyant criminal defense attorney who typically advertises on bus stop benches and holding cell mirrors. Despite his lack of high-level appellate experience, he passionately argues Me's case before the Supreme Court, utilizing F. K.'s sociological theories to defend his client.

MC Panache is a former rapper turned television cop who is married to Marpessa. He uses his entertainment industry connections to help his volatile brother-in-law, Stevie, and maintains a distant, sometimes hostile relationship with his wife's childhood friend.

Stevie is Marpessa's younger brother, described as too unhinged for traditional gang life. He is highly protective of his sister's property and demonstrates a volatile temperament, though he expresses admiration for Me's agricultural skills.

Laurel is Me's mother, a former *Jet* magazine "Beauty of the Week" who now works as a paralegal. She has minimal presence in Me's daily life but remains a figure in his reflections on his parents' bizarre courtship.

Mistress Dorothy is a professional dominatrix whom Me employs to fulfill Hominy's desperate need to be physically punished. Her presence highlights the purely performative nature of Hominy's self-imposed subjugation.

Laura Jane is a white, strawberry-blond struggling actress and part-time sex worker hired to entertain at Hominy's birthday. She engages in direct conversations with Marpessa about race, class, and the entertainment industry during the trip.

Topsy, who also goes by Butterfly Davis, is a dark-skinned Black woman who connects with Hominy over the suppressed *Our Gang* films. She joins him on a quest to locate missing racist film reels and engages in a brief romance with him.

Jon McJones is a Black conservative author who added "Mc" to his surname to emphasize his Irish heritage. He argues controversial points about slavery and race, serving as a dedicated ideological ally to Foy Cheshire.

Mr. Edmunds is a white middle school teacher associated with Teach for America. Overwhelmed by guilt after accidentally utilizing a newly segregated space on the bus, he dramatically quits his teaching position.

An unnamed, Yale-educated Black Supreme Court Justice who is famous for never asking questions during oral arguments. He breaks his decade-long silence specifically to aggressively yell at Me during his trial.

The Midwestern Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who presides over Me's trial. He attempts to maintain order in the court when his colleague breaks his silence to aggressively question the defendant.