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In the upcoming holiday movie, “Black Nativity,” (which is  based on a play by Langston Hughes), Mary J. Blige plays an angel named Platinum Fro.

And while angels are often associated with mercy, Blige said she was struck by another quality required of the characters, particularly the parents of Jennifer Hudson’s character, a single mom named Naima. The path she takes after giving birth at age 15 drives a wedge between parents (played by Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett) and child. Blige told NewsOne Now‘s Roland Martin, ”The biggest gift you can give someone, especially the children, is understanding.”

That lesson, and the way the music enables an “emotional transference” between actors and audience, should make the holiday film especially appealing to urban moviegoers, said the singer. “The story is relatable to all walks of life. Parents, mothers —  forgiveness, sacrificing for the child, getting over ourselves as adults to save the baby… Everything about it is amazing.”

Hear what else she had to say in the clip below.

“Black Nativity” opens on Wednesday, November 27.

Be sure to tune in to NewsOne Now with Roland Martin, weekdays at 7 a.m. EST.

Mary J. Blige On The Biggest Gift A Parent Can Give A Child  was originally published on newsone.com