WATCH: Elizabeth Pryor on comedy, race and her father's legacy

For historian Elizabeth Pryor, the N-word posed a quandary.

On the one hand, her father, comedian Richard Pryor, used the word on stage as part of his routine. But he would also tell her when she was a child not to let anyone call her the N-word.

"I just knew in my heart there was a difference between the word that he was trying to highlight and the racist word that I was called at school," she told PBS News' Geoff Bennett. "But it was hard to figure out."

Elizabeth, a professor at Smith College, has spent much of her career studying the origins of the N-word. In her new book, "Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me," she examines how her father changed comedy and his relationship with the N-word.

"He literally told me I had to punch somebody out if they ever call me the N-word," she said. Yet, he "also went up on stage, and he had a gold record that was on the wall, and it was, 'That N-word's crazy.' So it was hard to figure out, as was my dad in many ways, which is part of the story."

Elizabeth spoke to Bennett for the latest episode of PBS News' podcast, "Settle In," about her new book and her father's legacy.

For the full episode, click the link in our bio.

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