Paul is a fifteen-year-old Black student living in Harlem. Unsure of his own leadership abilities and lacking a summer job, he initially blends into his friend group and avoids taking charge. As the oldest member of the newly formed Action Group, he unexpectedly becomes the legal owner of a rundown tenement building called the Stratford Arms. He slowly learns how to balance the financial realities of running a building with his desire to help people.

Gloria is a tall, pretty, fifteen-year-old girl with a fierce sense of idealism. After being challenged to make a difference in her community, she creates the Action Group. She fearlessly confronts adults she believes are unjust, though her ideals undergo testing when she faces the harsh financial realities of maintaining the tenement building.

Dean is a highly creative and resourceful member of the Action Group. He tests unconventional ideas, such as trying to capture light in a bottle or creating mental energy shields to control situations. Despite his eccentric ideas, he provides reliable backup when Paul faces dangerous situations.

Bubba is the sixteen-year-old member of the Action Group who relies on conventional wisdom. He dreams of obtaining wealth and social standing, deciding briefly to become an illegal numbers runner to get rich. Despite his literal-minded approach, he assists his friends effectively during tense encounters.

Chris is a Black teenager from the neighborhood who works at a local stereo store. He becomes entangled in the criminal justice system after police arrest him for a robbery based on a co-worker's accusation. His predicament forces him into a stressful state of uncertainty as he awaits a trial date.

Paul's father works at the Department of Social Services and provides a steady income for his family. He constantly criticizes Paul and sets high standards because he fears his son will fall victim to systemic racial injustices. His strict behavior masks deep concern for his son's future and grief over his own family history.

Paul's mother provides a stabilizing presence in the Williams household. She supports Paul and attempts to mediate when her husband is overly critical of their son's actions.

The Captain runs the local illegal numbers game, an underground neighborhood lottery system. He possesses sharp business acumen and uses his platform to challenge local youth to improve their community. Despite his illegal profession, he acts as a generous and invested community leader who wants the teenagers to succeed.

Jonathan Pender is an older, fastidiously dressed man who runs his own investment business called Financial Banana. He serves as the accountant for the Action Group, offering them sober financial advice and setting up a professional bookkeeping system for the Stratford Arms.

Joseph Harley is the original landlord of the Stratford Arms tenement. When the teenagers demand he improve the building's conditions, he abruptly transfers ownership of the financially failing property to fifteen-year-old Paul for a single dollar.

Askia Ben Kenobi is an eccentric top-floor tenant at the Stratford Arms who perceives himself as a mystical ninja. He uses martial arts stances to intimidate the new landlords and destroys the banister, but he remains a permanent fixture in the building's community.

Tina Robinson is a tenant at the Stratford Arms who lives with her sister. She panics quickly and frequently summons the police when she senses danger, a trait that creates trouble for the teens initially but later proves strategically useful.

Pete Darden is an older handyman who lives rent-free in the Stratford Arms in exchange for working as the on-site manager and custodian. He quietly maintains an illegal liquor still in the building's basement.

Mrs. Brown is an elderly stroke victim and tenant at the Stratford Arms. She experiences recurring delusions that the deceased boxing champion Jack Johnson lives in her apartment, frequently reaching out to the young landlords when she believes he has died again.

Omar is one of the original members of the Action Group. He is highly opinionated and quick to declare his friend Chris guilty of burglary simply because the police made an arrest. He eventually abandons the group after they take ownership of the tenement.

At fourteen years old, Jeannie is the youngest original member of the Action Group. She abandons the organization early on when Gloria insists she must plunge her hands into a clogged toilet to prove her commitment to the group's work.

A.B. is a local fence who boasts about his ability to acquire any desired item. He justifies his illegal activities through pseudo-philosophical arguments, treating his black-market business as no different from conventional corporate practices.

Mr. Reynolds owns the local hi-fi equipment store. He reports a burglary to the police, initiating the criminal investigation that traps his employee, Chris, in the justice system.

Ella Fox is a single mother residing in the Stratford Arms who falls four months behind on her rent. Her financial instability forces the Action Group to debate the ethics of eviction versus their ideals of community support.