CHARACTER LIST

Minor Characters (Continued)

Minor Characters - Family and Family-Based

Leslie Jennings
Cedric's half-sister, she is fathered by a man different from Cedric's father. She is twenty-six at the start of the book and no longer living with Barbara and Cedric.

Butch Jennings
Brother of Barbara Jennings, uncle of Cedric Jennings.

Maurice Jennings
Father of Barbara Jennings, grandfather of Cedric Jennings.

Janey Bell Jennings
Mother of Barbara Jennings, grandmother of Cedric Jennings.

Chris Jennings
Sister of Barbara Jennings, aunt of Cedric Jennings.

Maurice Jennings
Son of Chris Jennings, cousin of Cedric Jennings.

Freddie Gilliam
Father of Cedric Gilliam, grandfather of Cedric Jennings.

Rose "Tiny" Jennings
Sister of Barbara Jennings, aunt of Cedric Jennings.

Joyce
A woman that Cedric Gilliam lived with when Cedric Jennings was younger.

Maggie Brisbane
Mother of Cedric Gilliam, grandmother of Cedric Jennings.

Darren Gilliam
Brother of Cedric Gilliam, who is in Lorton Penitentiary at the same time, and uncle of Cedric Jennings.

Unnamed son of Darren Gilliam
Visits Lorton at the same time as Cedric, and chosen for attention by Cedric Gilliam over his own son.

Leona
Woman who is involved with Cedric Gilliam and who cares for him during his work release program.

R.J.
The owner of the barbershop where Cedric Gilliam works for his work release program at Lorton.

Man in polo shirt and alligator boots
Provides Cedric Gilliam with the heroin to sell at the barbershop, then collects his cut at the end of the day.

Wide-bodied guard
Informs Cedric Gilliam when his work release job is ended.

Work release program officer
Informs Cedric Gilliam that he lost his work release job because of suspicious activity.

Aisha
Cedric's first cousin, who advocates Islam with Torrence Parks.

Lawrence
The seven-year old son of Neddy Jennings.

Sherene
Cedric Gilliam's girlfriend after parole.

Douglas
A cousin of Barbara Jennings.

Daisy
Barbara Jennings' oldest sister.

Cornelius Leonard
A friend of Butch Jennings who Cedric meets the night before leaving for Brown.

Captain Roy Grillo
A parole supervisor and former Lorton guard, Cedric Senior turns himself in to Grillo after becoming a fugitive.

Idas Daniel
A lawyer Cedric Senior has Sherene hire for his parole hearing.

Enrique Rivera
A parole member board who determines the new sentence for Cedric Senior.

Unnamed middle manager at Department of Agriculture
Talks with Barbara Jennings about Cedric attending Brown University.

Unnamed woman at Department of Agriculture
Co-worker of Barbara Jennings.

Minor Characters - Church and Childhood

LaKeith Ellis
Friend of Cedric Jennings in Jefferson Junior High School.

Torrence Parks
Friend of Cedric Jennings in Jefferson Junior High School, he becomes a convert to Islam and tries to influence Cedric regarding these ideas.

Eric Welcher
Friend of Cedric Jennings in Jefferson Junior High School, they still play video games together by the start of the book.

Steve Lawrence
Choir director of Scripture Cathedral.

Vera White
A faculty member at Jefferson Junior High who informs Barbara Jennings that Cedric will not return to that school for ninth grade.

Cornelia Cunningham
An elder at Scripture Cathedral who was a surrogate grandmother for Cedric, she died right before he left for the MIT MITES summer program.

Mother Long
Bishop Long's wife.

Skinny
Mother Long's sister, whose nickname belies her actual frame.

Henry Winbush
A friend from Jefferson Junior High School who is killed dealing drugs.

Sister Sharp
A missionary at Scripture Cathedral.

Sharp girls
Two daughters of Sister Sharp, who both attend the University of Maryland.

Louis Farrakhan
Chooses Scripture Cathedral as the base for the Million Man March.

Unnamed woman at Scripture Cathedral
Admires how Barbara Jennings dresses for church.

Minister Borden
An assistant pastor at Scripture Cathedral who assists Barbara Jennings when she is almost evicted.

Steve Turner
The U.S. Marshall who oversees the eviction of Barbara and Cedric Jennings.

Heavy woman in "I Love Coffee" T-shirt
Oversees the moving crew during the eviction of Barbara and Cedric Jennings.

Eight unnamed black workers
Move Barbara and Cedric Jennings' belongings during their eviction, then move it back after being paid to do so.

Unnamed black guard at Lorton
Escorts Cedric Jennings to his meeting with his father Cedric Gilliam.