Jerome Rogers
Jerome Rogers is the protagonist and narrator of Ghost Boys. A twelve-year-old boy, Jerome attends Bearden Middle School, where he is a well-behaved student. Having no friends, Jerome is the target of bullying. Jerome lives with his Grandma, Ma, Pop, and sister in a poor neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. One day after school, Jerome is playing make-believe with a toy gun when someone calls the police on him. The responding officer recklessly shoots and kills Jerome as he turns to run from the car speeding toward him. The white officer's unconscious racial bias against Black men is a factor in the shooting, as he perceived Jerome to be larger and more threatening than he really was. After Jerome dies, he becomes a ghost and observes his mourning family. As Jerome struggles to find purpose in the afterlife, he is counseled by the ghost of Emmett Till. Jerome also discovers that the officer who killed him has a daughter, Sarah, who can see and speak with him. Jerome is resistant to spending time with the privileged white girl, but he comes to learn that her ability to see him and comprehend the injustice of what happened to him has the power to precipitate meaningful change in society. By the end of the novel, Jerome accepts that his purpose as a "ghost boy" is to "bear witness," sharing his story with the living to bring about greater peace in the world.
Emmett Till
Based on the real-life civil rights icon, Emmett Till is a fellow "ghost boy" who provides support and instruction to Jerome in the afterlife. Emmett's ghost is also visible to Sarah. Killed in 1955, Emmett is a leader among the other ghost boys who have died in similar circumstances. When Jerome is frustrated with being a ghost, Emmett imparts the message that it is important for Sarah to see him and learn his story. When he deems Jerome ready to hear it, Emmett—who was raised not far from Jerome in Chicago—tells the story of how he was abducted, tortured, and lynched in 1955 while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. Emmett concludes his painful recounting with the message that it is crucial for him and Jerome to "bear witness" by telling their stories. Emmett's role as a ghost parallels his real-life legacy, as Emmett Till's mother insisted that her son's mutilated body be shown in an open casket at his funeral so the world could see how brutally he was treated by his killers. Emmett Till's death and the unjust acquittal of his killers have been credited for inspiring decades of African American civil rights advances.
Officer Moore
Officer Moore is the white Chicago police officer who kills Jerome. Responding to an emergency call, Moore fires two shots at Jerome's turned back; it is only after he fatally wounds Jerome that Moore realizes Jerome is a child with a toy gun. Moore and his partner also don't attempt to treat Jerome as he lies on the ground, even though they have a medical kit in their car. At his preliminary hearing, Moore testifies that he is not guilty of murder because he was acting within his rights and training as a police officer, as he was "in fear for his life." Moore's unconscious bias is exposed as he claims Jerome was "hulking" and "scary" despite the fact Jerome weighs 90 pounds and is only five feet tall, the same height as Moore's own twelve-year-old daughter. Moore maintains his innocence, and the judge decides there isn't enough evidence to charge him. However, Moore is visibly distraught by his actions, and Jerome wonders if it is "progress" that Moore at least appears to regret what he did. At the end of the book, Moore agrees to help his daughter with her website project about people like Jerome who have died because of prejudice.
Sarah Moore
Sarah is Officer Moore's daughter. While sitting in the courthouse at her father's preliminary hearing, Sarah makes eye contact with Jerome and informs him that she can see him. As the white daughter of a cop, Sarah lives in relative privilege—what Jerome calls a "fantasy." While Sarah initially is reluctant to believe her father has done anything wrong, by getting to know Jerome and Emmett, she realizes that racial prejudice is a structural issue in American society and policing. At the end of the novel, Sarah becomes obsessed with social justice issues, refusing to speak to her father while she sits at her computer and creates a website that links stories of Black people unjustly killed by police. Jerome encourages Sarah to clear the air with her father. She does so, asking her father to help with her website project.
Carlos Rodríguez
Carlos is Jerome's only friend. A new student from San Antonio, Texas, Carlos gravitates to Jerome on his first day at Bearden Middle School. Carlos makes friends with Jerome by talking about how he had no friends in Texas and hopes to have a friendship with Jerome. When bullies target Carlos and Jerome in the bathroom stalls where they've been hiding, Carlos scares the bullies off with a toy gun that looks realistic. As a gesture of friendship, Carlos makes Jerome take the gun after school so he can play make-believe with it. Carlos later feels remorse for having given the gun to Jerome, and he can't sleep. Taking Jerome's place, Carlos walks Kim home after school and acts as a chaperone at school. Eventually, Carlos confesses to Grandma that he gave the gun to Jerome. Grandma forgives Carlos and reminds him that people can't undo their mistakes, they can only learn from them and make up for them with future actions. Carlos organizes a Day of the Dead celebration on Jerome's grave, showing the Rogers family how his Mexican family honors their dead loved ones.
Kim Rogers
Kim is Jerome's little sister. A third-grader, Kim is popular at school; she expresses sympathy for Jerome, who has no friends and is the target of bullies. After Jerome dies, Kim spends a lot of time reading, which she also does to escape whenever she hears gunshots outside or the neighbors fighting. Carlos starts walking Kim home after school and acts as a chaperone within the school. Kim appreciates Carlos's efforts to stand by her and entertain her, but she insists that he tell Grandma that he was the one who gave Jerome the toy gun.
Grandma
Grandma is Jerome's and Kim's grandmother. An elderly woman, Grandma lives in the same apartment as Jerome's family and takes care of the children after school. When Jerome dies, Grandma insists that the worlds of the living and of spirits aren't as separate as people might think. Although she can't interact with Jerome as directly as Sarah can, Grandma senses Jerome's ghost. At the end of the book, Grandma admits to Carlos and Kim that she wishes she hadn't let Jerome play the day he was shot; she knew he was up to something naughty but wanted to let him have his fun.
Ma
Ma is Jerome's mother. She works as a receptionist at a Holiday Inn hotel. When Jerome is shot, Ma arrives at the scene of his death and screams in distress. While mourning, Ma shuts off her emotions, numbing herself to the pain. Before Jerome's funeral, Ma quotes the mother of Emmett Till, who insisted that Emmett have an open-casket funeral so the world could see what she had seen.
Pop
Pop is Jerome's father. A sanitation officer, Pop drives a garbage truck, starting his shift in the middle of the night. He likes to listen to Motown while driving, a genre Jerome doesn't understand the appeal of. After Jerome dies, Pop becomes angry in a way Jerome has never seen. He is outraged that a white police officer's recklessness and prejudice led to the death of his son, and he insists that they bring criminal charges against Moore. Jerome observes that, while mourning, Pop and Ma don't show each other any affection, as though they have shut off all emotions.
The Judge
The judge is the judicial authority overseeing the preliminary hearing of the potential criminal case against Officer Moore. At the beginning of the hearing, the judge reminds the court that the hearing isn't a trial, but rather an exploration of the evidence to determine whether Moore should be charged with a crime. At the end of the two-day hearing, the judge expresses the court's regret over what happened to Jerome, but she determines that the "hard and complicated" job of a police officer means Moore acted according to training. She says that it is her opinion that there isn't enough evidence to charge Moore with a crime.
Eddie, Snap, and Mike
Eddie, Snap, and Mike are a trio of bullies at Bearden Middle School. The three boys harass and beat up Jerome, menacing him on a daily basis. When Carlos joins the school, the boys also target him; however, Carlos pulls out a toy gun and scares the bullies off with it. At the end of the book, Carlos makes a truce with the bullies, speaking to Eddie, who is Dominican, in Spanish. The bullies make peace with Kim, offering condolences for what happened to Jerome.
