The DUP are "absolutely committed" to racial equality, Arlene Foster has said.
The party's East Derry MP Gregory Campbell has been accused of "race-baiting" after describing the number of black people on an edition of Songs of Praise as "the BBC at its BLM (Black Lives Matter) worst".
Anti-racism and ethnic minority campaigners have called on Gregory Campbell to apologise. Read more
Ms Foster said: "It is not a sentiment that I identify with, as someone who actually does enjoy Songs of Praise every Sunday and the diversity that is exhibited thereupon."
She told the Assembly: "We are totally, absolutely committed to racial equality."
The five semi-finalists, judges and presenter of the programme Mr Campbell referred to were all of a black ethnicity.
He wrote in an online post: "There were five singers, all of them black. There were three judges all of them black and one presenter who was incidentally, yes black.
"The singers were all very good but can you imagine an all white line up with an all white jury and presented by a white person? No I can't either."
The North West Migrants Forum, covering Mr Campbell's constituency, said they were "astonishing and shocking" comments.
It said black and ethnic minority people are equal citizens in an increasingly diverse country, including in Mr Campbell's constituency.
"He needs to withdraw his ignorant and insulting post and make a full public apology to the black and minority ethnic community of his constituency and beyond."
It added that Ms Foster should ensure her MP was held accountable for his words.
"Failure to do so will mean the words of that Executive vision (of a united community) will ring hollow.
"Meanwhile, we commit ourselves to challenging racism and building a society that fully respects and celebrates diversity."
Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long has described Gregory Campbell's comments as "bizarre".
"I think they were not only reprehensible and racist, but I think that they were also quite bizarre," she said.
"Anyone who has any understanding of the history of gospel music will be aware that it comes from the trials and tribulations of those who were often sent to the US as slaves, and therefore it is a tradition of singing, a tradition of music that has grown up from that background, and to suggest that there was anything at all to do with BLM or any other kind of positive discrimination in the fact that the best singers were through to the competition, and those most experienced were judging it, I think is a mistake.
"The test will really be how parties individually deal with those issues within their own ranks.
"We have a job of work to do in terms of showing leadership within our own organisation, within our own ranks, in terms of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.
"Of course people have the right to freedom of speech, but it doesn't come free of responsibility and indeed consequences."
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