Children’s entertainer Rachel Accurso, better known as Ms. Rachel, is putting $1 million behind her support for Palestinians — and specifically calling on wealthy White celebrities to follow her lead.
Accurso announced Thursday that she intends to match rapper Macklemore’s $1 million donation to organizations providing aid to Palestinians, while arguing that celebrities have a “moral obligation” to use their money and platforms on the issue.
“I will match Macklemore’s donation and I invite every wealthy white celebrity to match it and speak out against the genocide in Gaza,” Accurso wrote on social media.
Accurso went on to cite the number of Palestinian children reportedly killed during the war and argued that celebrities have a responsibility to act.
“We have a moral obligation to use our privilege and platforms to protect children and human rights,” she said.
The declaration marks the latest escalation in Accurso’s increasingly prominent political activism, despite building her enormous audience primarily through educational content aimed at babies, toddlers, and preschool-aged children.
Ms. Rachel Follows Macklemore’s $1 Million Pledge
Accurso’s announcement came one day after Macklemore pledged the entirety of his reported $1 million in net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians.
Macklemore made the pledge after being removed from the remainder of Sheeran’s tour following controversy surrounding his pro-Palestinian statements during a September 4 performance at MetLife Stadium.
Macklemore in an interview – YouTube, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon
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The rapper claimed New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, told Sheeran that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at the venue. Macklemore further claimed other stadium owners had joined Kraft in opposing his participation on the tour. Sheeran subsequently said the decision to remove Macklemore ultimately belonged to the tour promoter rather than himself.
After his removal, Macklemore announced his donation and directly challenged Kraft to match it.
“I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people,” Macklemore said.
Ed Sheeran – The Graham Norton Show, YouTube
Kraft subsequently announced that he and Sheeran would each donate $2 million toward humanitarian assistance in the region, although the initial statement did not identify specific recipient organizations.
Accurso has now inserted herself into that public challenge — but added a racial component of her own by specifically directing her demand toward “every wealthy white celebrity.”
Ms. Rachel Has Become Increasingly Political
The move should not come as much of a surprise to anyone who has followed Accurso’s public statements in recent years.
While Ms. Rachel became one of the biggest names in children’s entertainment through educational videos featuring songs, speech exercises, and early-learning activities, Accurso has increasingly used her massive platform to address political and international issues.
She has become an outspoken supporter of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war and previously raised more than $1 million to benefit children affected by conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other regions, according to Variety.
Earlier this week, Accurso also publicly criticized Sheeran following Macklemore’s removal from the Loop Tour.
Rachel Accurso –
Ms Rachel Toddler Learning Videos, YouTube
“Ed Sheeran had an opportunity [to] show that we won’t be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine,” she wrote. “Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows.”
Accurso has also involved herself in domestic political issues. Earlier this year, she participated in a campaign calling for the closure of the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, where migrant families have been detained.
Controversy Has Followed Ms. Rachel’s Activism
Accurso’s political advocacy has repeatedly placed the preschool entertainer in the middle of controversies far removed from the educational videos that made her famous.
In January, she faced backlash after her Instagram account appeared to “like” an antisemitic comment. Accurso subsequently said the interaction had been accidental and that she had actually been attempting to delete the comment.
Rachel Accurso –
Ms Rachel Toddler Learning Videos, YouTube
“I do not support language that targets or harms the Jewish community or any community,” Accurso told Variety at the time. “Antisemitism and hate of any kind have no place in my life or my work.”
Her latest announcement once again places politics directly alongside the Ms. Rachel brand — this time with a $1 million financial commitment and an explicit challenge based on the race and wealth of other celebrities.
Whatever celebrities decide to do with that challenge, Accurso is making her own position unmistakable: she intends to match Macklemore’s donation, continue speaking publicly about Gaza, and pressure other wealthy entertainers to put their own money behind the cause.
How do you feel about Ms. Rachel and her continued political activism? Do you let your kids watch her videos? Sound off and let us know!
