"American Idol" judge and singer Harry Connick Jr.recently addressed the racial and religious rift in America in an interview with The Christian Post.
"This is an incredibly divisive time in our country, and we're all Americans, we are all God's children and we need to remember that," Connick said. "I need to remember that I need to work on myself and make sure that I put love first because it starts with us as individuals."
Connick is making waves in his new daytime talk show "Harry," which he said could serve as a platform to bring joy to people and unite them despite their differences.
Connick grew up in New Orleans where he first first witnessed the racial inequalities in America in his younger days.
The TV host believes everyone is important regardless of race. He made this point known by being the first person to have both black and white people together on a Mardi Gras parade float.
"For me, I love everybody," he said. "I don't care what colour you are, what religion you are, I don't care about any of that stuff. I think that love wins in the end ultimately and if it's possible to celebrate our differences as opposed to using them as a means to divide us, that's how I choose to get through life."
The less time people spend judging others, the more time they can improve on themselves, Connick said, adding that Americans are actually more similar than they think. "We all want the best for our families, we respect our elders and we just want to figure it out," he said.
Earlier, Connick told the Gospel Herald that faith is so important to him that he bases every career move on what God would approve of.
"No matter what the artistic decision I make is, it coincides with my faith," he said. "It's constantly on my mind. It's a strange thing, because I don't think about my faith when I make decisions; it's not like one informs the other. I do things that make me comfortable, I do things that fulfill me and allow me to go to sleep at night with a clear conscience."
