Ms Rachel: Exceptional educator and outspoken advocate for Gazan children’s rights

There are two reasons you might know Ms Rachel. If, like me, you have young children, she’s probably a constant presence in your home. Despite your best intentions, you know the dance moves to I’m So Happy, find yourself singing Icky Sticky Bubble Gum and know the American Sign Language for “more” or needing to pee or poop.

The other reason is Gaza. The children’s entertainer, who has more than 18 million subscribers on YouTube, has been an outspoken advocate for children’s rights during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Rachel Accurso (43) launched Songs for Littles in 2019 after her son experienced speech difficulties and she struggled to find resources online to help. She has a background in theatre, as well as master’s degrees in music education and early childhood education, and taught music at a primary school.

According to a profile in The New York Times (she later cancelled her subscription, citing its coverage of Gaza), she “filmed close-ups of her mouth to show the pronunciation of words and recorded her versions of children’s songs, making sure to incorporate voice, sign language and visuals”.

She performs with a diverse group of collaborators, including her husband, musical director and composer Aron Accurso, and has featured stars such as John Legend as well as fellow children’s performers Elmo, Blippi and Meekah.

In the NYT profile, a US couple who had struggled to access speech therapy for their two-year-old daughter feared they would never hear their little girl say “I love you”. They found Ms Rachel’s videos, and within a month the two-year-old started signing what she wanted and “blossoming with her communication”.

Sure, screen time can create little monsters, but Ms Rachel has been a godsend for parents across the world (specifically, me) looking for engaging, educational content while trying to cook dinner or take a call while working from home.

Humanising Gazan children

On social media, where she practises her activism, as well as in public appearances, she’s humanised families in Gaza and called out those who stay silent.

She’s featured videos of many children from Gaza. She sang with Rahaf, a three-year-old Palestinian girl who became a double amputee after an air strike.

She’s also spoken out against other conflicts where children are suffering, such as in Sudan.

It’s come at a toll. Accurso was nominated as the 2025 “AntiSemite of the Year” by Stop­Antisemitism, a pro-Israel organisation that claims to represent Jewish people and doxes pro-Palestinians.

She reportedly had to hire security after receiving threats for what she’s described as seeing Palestinian children as equal to any other children in the world.

Because of her creativity, empathy as well as moral clarity, and for helping us parents to get through each day, Accurso – Ms Rachel – is Daily Maverick’s Artist of the Year. DM

Runners-up

Two 23-year-old singers are dominating the charts while being role models for young women across South Africa and the US.

This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R35.