Calvin Burns has trouble getting his 15-year-old daughter, Stepheni Bellamy, to talk, which is something parents of teenagers everywhere can understand.

Calvin knew that Stepheni was having a hard time adjusting to being one of the only Black students in her school. Having grown up in a similar situation, Calvin could relate to that, but he had never taken the time to talk to his daughter about it.

He thought that bringing Stepheni to StoryCorps and sharing stories from his teenage years might help Stepheni open up.

Please note that this conversation contains a racial slur.

Originally aired April 21, 2017 on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Photo courtesy of the Burns family