Latest news with #SongsforLittles
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Viral Internet Sensation Is Emotional While Sharing 'Controversial' Message: 'Be So Ashamed'
Rachel Griffin-Accurso, affectionately known as the YouTube star behind the "Songs for Littles" series who goes by Ms. Rachel online, has recently found herself in the midst of a heated debate across social media. Known for her cheerful demeanor, educational content, and appeal to toddlers and young kids, her recent humanitarian efforts have sparked both praise and criticism as of late. After previously voicing her support for children in conflict zones—including Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—the mom of two took to her account of over three million Instagram followers with a heartfelt upload on Tuesday, May 27. In the post, the viral internet sensation conveyed an emotional message aimed directly at "Leaders." "Be so ashamed of your silence. Be so ashamed that you've seen the images and videos we've seen & they haven't moved you to do the right thing. Be so ashamed that you normally speak out for children & human rights, but won't now because they are Palestinian. Be so ashamed that you don't see children like my friend Rahaf like you see other children. Be so ashamed for your anti-Palestinian racism," it read. The impassioned upload continued: "Be so ashamed that your constituents are begging and pleading for you to speak out and you stay silent. Be so ashamed that you put money & power & your career before the lives of precious children of God. Be so ashamed that our religions tell us to give to the poor, feed the hungry & open our arms to all children & you pretend that they mean only for some children." In closing, the 42-year-old called out "Celebrities as well," writing, "If everyone says something it won't be controversial anymore. It's never been wrong to say starving and bombing kids is wrong," before captioning the post, "Please God give everyone the strength to say something. #gaza." While some have called for boycotts of her content, many parents and supporters have rallied behind her, praising her for using her platform to promote empathy and humanitarian values. "Thank you for using your voice to stand up for children everywhere—with clear eyes and a full heart. More of this kind of leadership, please," wrote one commenter under the post, while another agreed, "You're not only kind but consistent in kindness! We all got to learn from it. People of influence must speak up." On the other hand, one opposing account suggested that the YouTuber "Must be getting paid" for posting this stance on the matter, as another said, "So let me get this straight…you know more than all the leaders that you're addressing?! 😂 stay in your lane ie kid videos on YouTube. You're outa your league at the moment…" No matter the backlash, though, Griffin-Accurso has maintained that she doesn't intend to stop speaking up regarding her social advocacy views any time soon, despite scrutiny or the public's polarizing reactions. Next: Viral Internet Sensation Is Emotional While Sharing 'Controversial' Message: 'Be So Ashamed' first appeared on Parade on May 27, 2025
CNN
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
YouTube star Ms. Rachel sings with 3-year-old double amputee from Gaza
YouTube star and children's educator Rachel Accurso, whose 'Songs for Littles' have been viewed billions of times, meets and sings one of her trademark songs with Rahaf, a 3-year-old double amputee from Gaza. Accurso, who has millions of followers across social media, has been outspoken about her views that the children in Gaza face a humanitarian crisis, and says she has received both support and bullying for her posts.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who is Ms. Rachel? YouTuber accused of anti-semitism over Gaza advocacy
Who is Ms. Rachel? YouTuber accused of anti-semitism over Gaza advocacy Rachel Griffin Accurso , better known as 'Ms. Rachel,' has recently faced backlash over her comments. Best known for her YouTube series Songs for Littles , Accurso is a beloved figure in millions of households for her toddler-focused educational videos. However, her recent advocacy for Palestinian children caught in the war in Gaza has led to online accusations of antisemitism, charges she strongly denies. The controversy began gaining traction after Ms. Rachel posted about a 3-year-old Gazan girl named Rahaf, who lost her legs in an airstrike. The post, part of a series highlighting children affected by the Israel-Gaza war, stirred support and outrage alike. A conservative group called StopAntisemitism named her 'Antisemite of the Week,' accusing her of spreading Hamas propaganda and favouring Palestinian victims over Israeli ones. In response to the accusations, Accurso clarified, 'This accusation is not only absurd, it's patently false.' She defended her posts, saying her work has always been about advocating for all children. 'Caring about children in Gaza is a direct continuation of the work I've been doing most of my life,' she said in an email. Accurso has posted more frequently about Gaza, which she acknowledged, citing the scale of the humanitarian crisis . 'The idea that caring about one group of children prevents us from caring about another is false,' she added. Supporters like podcast host Tommy Vietor and journalist Mehdi Hasan argue that her posts reflect compassion, not bias. Who is Ms. Rachel? A former preschool teacher and musician from Maine, Rachel Griffin Accurso launched Songs for Littles in 2019 after her son Thomas was diagnosed with a speech delay. The educational videos, which teach speech, emotional growth and social skills through songs, quickly gained popularity. Today, her YouTube channel has over 14 million subscribers and more than a billion views. In 2025, Netflix began licensing episodes of her show, helping push her estimated net worth to around $10 million. Beyond YouTube, Accurso is a mother of two, Thomas, now 7, and Susannah, a baby born via surrogate earlier this year. Her husband, composer Aron Accurso, is a creative partner in the Songs for Littles project. Together, they've pledged $1 million to World Food Program USA to help malnourished children around the world. Accurso's growing presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok has allowed her to reach parents directly, where she occasionally shares opinions on issues such as universal child care and child safety in war zones.
Middle East Eye
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Ms Rachel draws widespread praise for speaking out in defence of Palestinian children
On Monday, the popular American children's content creator, Ms Rachel, explained her decision to speak up for the children of Gaza, saying that the real controversy lies in remaining silent over their suffering. In a conversation with British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan, she reflected on the pressure to stay quiet and said: "I think it should be controversial to not say anything." Rachel Griffin Accurso, best known for her YouTube series Songs for Littles, which teaches toddlers nursery rhymes and early learning concepts to an audience of 14.7 million subscribers. She has also used her social media platforms to speak out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has unfolded since Israel launched its military campaign after the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on the southern part of the country. Accurso criticised the backlash she's received for supporting children in crisis, expressing disbelief that speaking up for children enduring immense hardship could be seen as controversial. She questioned why advocating for these children is met with resistance. In a statement last month, the pro-Israel organisation StopAntisemitism urged attorney general Pam Bondi to look into whether Accurso is receiving foreign funding to promote anti-Israel messaging aimed at influencing public sentiment. The group accused her of spreading Hamas propaganda, alleging that some of the figures and images she's posted about children in Gaza are inaccurate. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On social media, StopAntisemitism said that Ms Rachel had become 'an amplifier of Hamas propaganda' since October 2023, sharing content to her over 20 million followers that included an allegedly misrepresented ''starving child' from Gaza photo', and statistics they called false regarding Palestinian child casualties. 'It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering,' said Accurso, speaking to Hassan. The content creator pushed back against claims that expressing concern for children in Gaza means disregarding others, explaining that such a viewpoint is deeply misguided. "Our compassion doesn't have boundaries, our borders. We just love kids," she said. Social media users have praised and celebrated Ms Rachel's interview and her compassionate words for Palestinian children. "𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜" - Ms. Rachel. No amount of trolling and smear attacks by pro-Israeli fanatics can stop Ms. Rachel from speaking up for Palestinian children enduring the most visible #genocide. — Nusaybah (@hate_stopper) May 12, 2025 Many suggested that by amplifying the voices of the Palestinian children, Ms Rachel is doing more than any elected official. Literally by just doing an extended interview Ms Rachel has done more than almost any other elected official or celebrity when it comes to Gaza. — dann0bann0 (@dann0bann0) May 13, 2025 In the interview, Accurso rejected claims that she is antisemitic simply because she speaks out for the lives of children in Palestine. She said that as an educator, her sympathy extends to all children, wherever they are in the world. Accurso also said that she still remembered the voice of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who pleaded for help for hours, trapped inside a car with her dead family before she was killed by the Israeli military. 'There are multiple moments I can't forget. There was a little boy who was really shocked, and he was shaking. There was so much terror in his eyes. A healthcare worker was being so compassionate, you see that compassion. He finally was able to cry because [he] was just so shocked that he couldn't even cry.' Ms Rachel received widespread praise by social media users, who said 'it would have been so easy to not say anything'. Hard to overstate the impact of people with politics-free platforms, like Ms. Rachel, speaking out about Israel's genocide on Gaza. Would've been so easy for her to not say anything. — David Doel (@daviddoel) May 12, 2025 Israeli forces have killed more than 52,800 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the war on the enclave began, including at least 15,000 children. An estimated 10,000 more people are missing and presumed dead, while nearly 120,000 have been wounded.
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.'
