Sen. Cory Booker acknowledged that he and Joe Biden had a “constructive conversation” but said his fellow Democratic presidential hopeful’s use of the racially pejorative term “boy” in describing his ability to work with segregationist senators in the past was “hurtful” to the African-American community.

“This is about him invoking a terrible power dynamic that he showed a lack of understanding or insensitivity to by invoking this idea that he was called ‘son’ by white segregationists who, yeah, they see in him their son,” the New Jersey Democrat said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

Booker said he and Biden, who he has a “tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for,” had a private conversation last Wednesday night but he felt he has a responsibility to “be candid with him, to speak truth to power.”

“That’s why again I felt it really important especially with our friends not to just sweep things under the rug but to be candid and straightforward with each other,” Booker said.

The two 2020 candidates sparred during the past week over comments Biden made last Tuesday at a Manhattan fund-raiser when he recalled a time of civility in the Senate in the 1970s and how he could work with Sen. James Eastland, who supported segregation.

“I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland,” Biden said, referring to the white supremacist from Mississippi. “He never called me ‘boy,’ he always called me ‘son.’ ”

Reminded that Biden claimed those comments were taken out of context, Booker said he didn’t buy that and has “heard from many, many African Americans who found the comments hurtful.”

“We make mistakes. We sometimes tread upon issues that maybe we aren’t knowledgeable of,” Booker said. “I don’t think the vice president should need this lesson, but this was a time for him to be healing and to be helpful – especially the time that he is looking to bring this party together and lead us in what is the most important election of our lifetime.”

Booker released a statement last week blasting Biden for using the word.

“You don’t joke about calling black men ‘boys,’ ” Booker said.

The two tried to clear the air between them in a phone call and both candidates appeared in South Carolina over the weekend with other Democratic hopefuls.