In Roadville, respecting elders meant not talking back, or being mouthy, as my family would call it. In their close-knit community, Roadville children were taught traditions, not innovations. They were raised to say it “right,” meaning the way it has always been done. White kids in Roadville were instructed and coached to tell memorized stories verbatim, and adults would correct them midway, “But what happened before that?” They were taught to stick to the right facts and to use the particular language of the community.
