WATCH: John Legend teams up with Sesame Street in holiday video for kids with incarcerated parents

American musician and activist John Legend teamed up with Sesame Street to explain the difficulties children face when their parents are incarcerated.

"It's important to stay connected with loved ones, especially during the holiday season," Legend explained, with Sesame Street's Elmo and Abby sitting on his lap.

"In the United states, there are 2.7 million children who have a parent in prison or jail," Legend noted.

"Yeah, Mr. John, Elmo and Abby have some friends whose mommy or daddy are in prison or jail," Elmo told the recording star.

"Yeah, and they won't be together this holiday season," Abby said. "Well, that makes us kinda sad."

"I know, me too," Legend replied. "But even though it's hard, there are ways we can come together to support them and they can stay connected."

The powerful segment was a partnership of Sesame Street in Communities and Legend's Let's Free America nonprofit.

"The issues of mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline, coupled with nationwide protests over the deaths of unarmed young men and women of color, provide an unprecedented opportunity for all of us to get involved in criminal justice reform efforts," Let's Free America explains.

Watch the emotional segment: