Richard Wright
The author-narrator, the "black boy" of the title.
Ella Wright
Richard's mother, whose illness prevents her from caring for herself and her children.
Nathaniel Wright
Richard's father, a victim of the Great Migration, who leaves his family early in Richard's life.
Alan Wright
Richard's brother; for most of his life, he lives in Detroit with Aunt Maggie.
Grandpa
Ella's father, a disabled veteran of the Union Army.
Granny
Ella's mother, a Seventh-Day Adventist with whom Richard and Ella spend most of his childhood.
Aunt Addie
Ella Wright's sister; she is Richard's teacher in a religious school; at home, she is Richard's archenemy.
Aunt Maggie
A favorite of Richard's because of her sympathy and independence.
Uncle Hoskins
Aunt Maggie's husband, who is killed by whites.
Professor Matthews
Her second husband, who is chased from town by whites and always remains a mystery.
Uncle Clark
A cold and childless man who takes Richard to live with him in Greenwood.
Aunt Jody
Uncle Clark's wife, whose strict character repels Richard.
Uncle Thomas
A representative of all that Richard finds weak and hypocritical in black men.
Miss Simon
The head of the orphanage which Richard attends briefly. She tries and fails to win his trust.
Griggs
A classmate of Richard's whose attitudes are representative of many black boys he meets.
Reynolds and Pease
Two white racist coworkers.
Mr. Crane
A white Yankee employer of Richard's who advises him to go North.
Mrs. Moss
Richard's landlady, a warm but suffocating woman.
Bess
Her daughter who wants Richard to marry her.
Shorty
An elevator operator and friend of Richard's who sells himself daily to get a few pennies from whites.
Mr. Olin
The foreman in the optical house who sets up a fight between Richard and Harrison.
Harrison
A black employee of a rival optical house, he is used as a pawn in the fight with Richard.
Mr. Falk
An Irish Catholic coworker of Richard's who helps him get books from the library.
