This might be one of the hardest issues you face as a parent, but also one of the most important. How your children will grow up to think about others and themselves relies greatly upon how you talk to them about race and diversity, what they hear you say about others, and how they see you act toward them.

There is no doubt racism exists in our nation today, and racial tension seems to have escalated in the last ten years. I believe things will only get worse unless parents intervene at the home level.

I recently had the honor of speaking with my good friend, author and NFL player Benjamin Watson, about how to talk to your child about issues of race and diversity. Benjamin is the author of Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race. Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations that Divide Us. He has played in the NFL for the last 12 years and is currently a tight end for the Baltimore Ravens. He is also a husband and the father five of children.

He says, “When it comes to race in our country, I think that the living room is more important than the court…