Latest news with #RachelGriffinAccurso
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Ms Rachel says she'll risk career to advocate for children in Gaza
Ms Rachel, the children's entertainer and educator whose YouTube videos have been watched by millions of families around the world, said she is willing to risk her career to keep advocating for suffering children in Gaza. In an interview with WBUR, a Boston-based public radio station, Ms Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, said she had received pushback for speaking out to raise awareness of the situation in Gaza, where more than 54,000 people have been killed in Israel's ongoing military assault. But Accurso said she would continue to advocate for children's safety. 'I wouldn't be Ms Rachel if I didn't deeply care about all kids. And I would risk everything, and I will risk my career over and over to stand up for them. It's all about the kids for me,' Accurso told WBUR. The UN has described Gaza as 'the hungriest place on Earth', and warned that the Palestinian territory's entire population is at risk of famine. Accurso said she had recently met with Palestinian women whose children were suffering in Gaza. 'When you sit with a mother who's FaceTiming her boys in Gaza who don't have food, and you see that anguish and you are there with her, it really moves you – I'm sorry to get emotional – to do everything you can for her,' she said. 'And of course, you say: 'I need to do more. What can I do to help?' I do have a big platform, and I look at it as a responsibility.' In April, a pro-Israel group urged the US attorney general to investigate Accurso over her messaging about children suffering in Gaza, and Accurso has been criticized by rightwing media and commentators. Asked about the criticism, Accurso said: 'It's really painful. And I have to remind myself that people don't know my heart, and people try to tell you who you are, but you know who you are. And I know how deeply and equally I care for all children, and I do lean on my faith in that situation. 'I care so deeply about every child. As a teacher, you have children from many different places, especially in New York City, and you care exactly the same about them. That's the basis of everything for me, is that children are equal, that they all deserve everything they need to thrive.' Accurso said in May 2024 that she had faced 'bullying' after launching a fundraiser for children in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In April of this year, Accurso donated $1m to World Food Program USA, which provides meals for starving people in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and 11 other impoverished countries, after the Trump administration said it would end funding to the program.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Why is a pro-Israel group asking the US to investigate Ms Rachel?
If you believe that babies can tell when a person is truly good, then it should be no surprise that Ms Rachel – the beloved kids YouTube sensation – has remained on the right side of every socio-political debate since the image of her pink tee and denim dungarees became ubiquitous in households with children across the world. But when Ms Rachel, whose given name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, began speaking out about the genocide in Gaza, pro-Israel rightwingers put a massive target on her back. Accurso first made her stance public around May 2024, when she announced a fundraiser for children in Gaza and other war zones. Since then, she's consistently drawn attention to the tragedy in Palestine by sharing statistics on the crisis along with images of Palestinian children to her social media audience of tens of millions of followers, and the right has been after her since. Back in March, the New York Post ran an article about Accurso calling her a 'Woke brainwasher' and warning parents against the influence they were allowing into their homes. Then, last month, the pro-Israel group StopAntisemitism asked the Department of Justice to investigate whether Ms Rachel was operating as a foreign agent because of her posts about Gazan children. In an open letter to the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, they asked authorities to find out whether Accurso was 'being remunerated to disseminate Hamas-aligned propaganda to her millions of followers'. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of children have been killed or injured in Gaza since Israel began its onslaught in retaliation for Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack – and Israel isn't letting up, even as children face starvation. Last Saturday, Israeli airstrikes killed nine of a Gaza doctor's 10 children while she worked. If speaking up about a genocide makes you a foreign agent, what does that say about America's own values? 'I care deeply for all children. Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US – Muslim, Jewish, Christian children – all children, in every country,' Accurso said through tears on Instagram video from May of 2024. 'To do a fundraiser for children who are currently starving, who have no food or water, who are being killed, is human.' For this kind of thing – caring about innocent children – to be controversial is a clear sign of just how far we've strayed from our moral core as a society, and a reminder of the inhumanity that pervades this political moment. One of the distinct markers of pro-Israel rhetoric in recent times has been the way it intentionally and violently rejects the idea of children being vulnerable and innocent. Israel's supporters feel emboldened to cast babies as collateral damage at best, and 'enemies' at their most truly unhinged. And the pro-Israel crowd is angry at Accurso because in a war that does not want us to see them as such, she constantly reminds us that Palestinian children are people, and are deserving of the same kind of care and protection that the west gives its young. Her love for children has also made her an easy target for conservatives who like to label LGBTQ+ people and their allies as creeps and pedophiles looking to groom children. Last year, when Accurso shared a video celebrating Pride month on her Instagram and TikTok accounts (which are geared toward her adult supporters, of course), rightwing influencers called her 'sick' and complained that she was exposing children to 'things they shouldn't be exposed to'. For me, Accurso's speaking out also shines a harsh light on the absolute dearth of outrage from other far more powerful and influential celebrities. This month, more than 300 celebrities and Hollywood figures signed an open letter condemning the industry's silence on the genocide. This belated effort falls flat when you consider how people with much less power and way more to lose have risked their livelihoods and safety to speak up for what is right. Overall, though, the hatred for Accurso isn't just about Gaza. As a public figure, she is an indictment of everything that rightwingers want us to believe is bad. She's all about big feelings, standing up for vulnerable people, making people from all walks of life feel included, and celebrating what makes us different. Of course the right hates that. Figures like Accurso are an aberration in a world where bad news generates the most clicks and we are all supposed to be desensitized to the ways vulnerable people continue to have their lives, and the few protections they have left, snatched away from them. Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Ms. Rachel Opens up About Life With a New Baby ... And 'Potty Talk'
Ms. Rachel's newborn daughter Susannah, now 3 months old, is one lucky little lady. Instead of watching "Ms. Rachel" episodes on YouTube or Netflix, she gets a private show. "I had (Susannah) in front of me, and I was like, 'I want to sing her a song. Hmm, what should I sing?' And then I was like, 'Wait, this is my area,'" Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, tells "I've been doing full episodes for her, just as myself!" Rachel and her husband, Aron Accurso announced the newest addition to her family on April 8. The couple and their 7-year-old son Thomas, whose speech delay as a young child was the catalyst for Accurso's YouTube empire, have been in baby heaven ... when Susannah gives them a good stretch of sleep, that is. "She's such a smiley, happy baby," Rachel shares. "Thomas is even changing diapers sometimes — except for no poopy ones. He's given her a bottle, he's burped her. He's just the sweetest with her." Though Rachel officially hung up her overalls and headband for maternity leave, she and her husband have been working on a very special episode on their most-requested topic: potty training. "I was thinking back to my own potty training journey with Thomas, and it's really refreshing to bring some joy to it, and some fun and some dancing and singing," Rachel says. "I joke that it's like a Broadway show about poop and pee." The pair released one of the songs on Instagram and we must warn you: it's a BOP. The full episode is available on YouTube now. "We brought in several Broadway friends to perform in the show and also help with arranging and the underscoring and live playing," says Aron, who has held multiple roles in the orchestras of Broadway shows. They filmed the episode in January, before the new baby arrived. "There's a lot of beautiful musical moments in the episode," he adds. As anyone who has ever potty trained a child will tell you, the process could use some light-hearted beauty. "As parents, we we want to succeed," says Rachel, "so we probably put too much pressure on ourselves." They hope this effort and the accompanying guide will eliminate some of that pressure. The episode doesn't necessarily adhere to one type of potty training method. Rachel gives a lot of grace to parents who can't take off three days of work in a row to potty train, or are raising kids on their own. "I grew up with a single mom, so I always kind of have that perspective," she says. Rachel and Aron were side by side when they potty trained Thomas, as they are with all things. In fact, Rachel takes a beat in the interview to "convey how equal our partnership is." She adds earnestly, "Often, you know, I'm kind of the face of things, and Aron just worked so hard and made such brilliant music, and he's been at the computer so much, because I'm on maternity leave." Aron tries to stop his wife but reluctantly lets her complete her thought. Rachel and Aron seem to be each other's number one fans. The pair joke that now that they have a song for kids called, "I Listen to My Body," they should make one for grownups about listening to our bodies and going to sleep when we're tired rather than doomscrolling. Rachel laughs, "We're telling the kids to listen to their bodies, but sometimes as adults — " "We need that reminder, too," says Aron. This article was originally published on
NBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Ms. Rachel doubles down support for children in Gaza
Popular kids' content creator Rachel Griffin Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel, addressed the ongoing backlash over her advocacy for Palestinian children, saying in a recent interview that 'it should be controversial to not say anything.' Known for her YouTube series 'Songs for Littles,' Accurso's channel — which has 14.7 million subscribers — focuses on teaching youngkids nursery rhymes, first words and basic educational concepts like colors and shapes. But elsewhere on her social media platforms, the educator has been outspoken about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has taken shape since Israel began its military response to Hamas' deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023. 'It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering,' Accurso said in an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan, founder of the independent publication Zeteo. Accurso did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment on Monday. The interview comes on the heels of intensified scrutiny of Accurso, who has been accused of antisemitism by some online critics who take issue with her posts about Palestinian children. Last month, the pro-Israel group StopAntisemitism requested that Attorney General Pam Bondi investigate whether Accurso is 'being funded by a foreign party to push anti-Israel propaganda to skew public opinion.' They accuse her of being 'an amplifier of Hamas propaganda,' claiming some statistics and images she has shared about children in Gaza are false. Accurso did not address the probe request in her interview with Hasan. But she rejected claims that she is antisemitic because she advocates for the lives of children in Gaza. As an educator, she said, her empathy extends to all children around the world. 'I've been blessed to get this platform. And kids feel that I care about them all deeply, and that's why I have the platform. Because they feel it through the screen, because it's genuine,' Accurso said. 'And kids know when things aren't genuine. And that care doesn't end with the kids that are watching, or any kids.' Accurso, a mother to two young children, said her background in early childhood education made her aware that many of the youngest children in Gaza are being malnourished and traumatized in ways that harm their brain development during the crucial first three years of life. But mainly, she said, her concern is simply fueled by empathy. Since she began working with the humanitarian nonprofit Save the Children, Accurso said she learned more about situations faced by children around the world, from the U.S. to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Gaza. She said she was 'horrified' by Oct. 7, as well as the 'distressing, horrific images' of suffering in Gaza. She has since used her platforms to raise awareness and call out human rights violations against children. Last year, Accurso posted a tearful Instagram reel in which she shared that she was being bullied online after she held a fundraiser for Save the Children's emergency fund for kids in conflict zones like Gaza, Sudan, the Congo and Ukraine. She wrote in her caption that she cares for 'Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US — Muslim, Jewish, Christian children — all children, in every country. Not one is excluded.' 'The idea that caring for a group of children in an emergency situation means you don't care about other children is false,' Accurso reiterated in Monday's interview. 'And I just don't understand it.' Accurso has continued her advocacy this year, highlighting the stories of Palestinian children like Hind Rajab. In recent months, she spotlighted a family whose home was destroyed and a 3-year-old who lost both her legs in an airstrike, among others. 'Our compassion doesn't have boundaries or borders,' she told Zeteo. 'We just love kids.'
Roya News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Ms. Rachel targeted by pro-"Israel" organization
YouTuber Rachel Griffin Accurso, known to millions of children and families as Ms. Rachel, is facing scrutiny from the pro-"Israel" organization StopAntisemitism after she called attention to the humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinian children in Gaza. Accurso is being accused of "spreading Hamas propaganda" for expressing concern over the suffering of children in the region. The accusations emerged after Ms. Rachel shared posts highlighting the dire conditions faced by children in Gaza, particularly emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian aid. In a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, StopAntisemitism's director, Liora Rez, demanded an investigation into whether Ms. Rachel was being compensated to promote pro-Gaza content, suggesting a potential violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Rez claimed that Ms. Rachel has been incorporating "Hamas-like propagated images and stories" into her content and alleged that she has ignored the suffering of "Israeli" victims and children. The organization has disputed various examples of Ms. Rachel's posts, claiming they contradict the "Israeli" narrative. Ms. Rachel's reference to the more than 15,000 children reportedly killed in Gaza since the onset of "Israel's" military campaign in October 2023 has also drawn criticism. Additionally, Ms. Rachel faced backlash for discussing the deaths of children due to hypothermia in Gaza. StopAntisemitism referred to these incidents as "fake cold deaths," claiming that the images were improperly sourced and misrepresented the temperatures in the region. However, numerous reports from the Gaza Health Ministry and organizations like Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF confirm that freezing temperatures during the winter months led to the deaths of many children, exacerbated by the collapse of infrastructure due to ongoing aggression. In response to the backlash, Ms. Rachel has remained focused on her mission of compassion and justice, stating that her advocacy is rooted in the fundamental rights of children rather than partisan politics. She was motivated to speak out after witnessing a video of a traumatized child who survived an "Israeli" bombing, prompting her to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinian children.
