For King and Country on Race: 'Don't Be Frightened of Differences, Love the Individual'
Joel and Luke Smallbone are the Grammy award winning recording duo, For King and Country. In the last few years, the singing brothers have used their music to celebrate the value of women and to challenge men to be chivalrous in how they love.
That message is the foundation of a hit song and their book Priceless: She's Worth Fighting For, in stores now. There is also a movie that will be in theaters Oct. 14. Joel stars in the film and Luke serves as the film's executive producer.
The "priceless" theme also resonates for the duo as they watch the deadly racial unrest that has erupted in several cities following police shootings. The singer-song writers shared their hearts in a recent conversation on Studio 5.
"I feel like it's been pent up for a number of years. I don't think this is something that has just happened in the last few years," Luke said.
Luke suggested a simple way to begin to heal the national heartbreak.
"When you look at the racial tensions that we have, I think both sides of the coin in all of diversity have to do things to intentionally reach across the aisle," he said.
The Australian-born music makers reach across the aisle in their music. They partnered with hip-hop recording artist Lecrae on his ground-breaking album "Anomaly." And they regularly team with KB, another rap artist on Lecrae's Reach Records label.
Luke and Joel were on tour with KB in July when racial tensions exploded with police-involved shootings in Minnesota, Louisiana, and Dallas, Texas.
Joel recalled spending hours discussing issues of race with KB.
"I left mournful about the realities of the men who passed away, and I left hopeful because I see the black men who passed and I see the police officers who had passed as a wakeup call, and as martyrs to reconnect, to restart and to kick start this conversation in America," Joel said.
As we sit on the heels of yet another round of racially charged protests and violence," Joel added, "If we could just put our arms around each other and not be frightened by a country or a skin color, or anything else, but really love the individual ... what greatness could be ahead of America."
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