Who is Ms. Rachel, aka Rachel Griffin-Accurso? This is a question that many asked when the “controversy” involving her broke out. While internet drama is really nothing new, as social media stars are constantly making apology videos on sites like TikTok and YouTube, that most of the time feel inauthentic and often only worsen the situation, the “controversy” involving Ms. Rachel, in comparison, seems much less justified or warranted. Born and raised in Maine, Ms. Rachel is a YouTuber and social media personality best known for creating musically-driven educational videos for young children.
Before she became a YouTube and TikTok sensation, Ms. Rachel had an extensive background in the world of both music and education, as she was heavily involved in musical theater when she attended high school and college. Additionally, she earned a master’s degree in music education at New York University and worked as a music teacher at a New York City public preschool before starting her Ms. Rachel YouTube channel, and since has found great success on the video-sharing platform site (via Today). However, despite making wholesome and entertaining content for a young audience, even Ms. Rachel is not immune to backlash.
Ms. Rachel Is An Educator Known For Her Songs For Littles YouTube Series
Griffin-Accurso started her Ms. Rachel YouTube channel in 2019 in an effort to create entertaining yet educational videos to help toddlers and infants who struggle with language development, as her own son was unable to speak until the age of two. On her channel, Griffin-Accurso created the music series, Songs for Littles, which features Ms. Rachel singing both classic children’s songs and her own original music, and it serves as both entertainment and education for her very young audience. As of today, Ms. Rachel has amassed about 6.26 million subscribers on YouTube and 3.3 million followers on TikTok.
Ms. Rachel Faced Backlash For Featuring Non-Binary Performer Jules Hoffman On Her Show
In 2023, Ms. Rachel faced backlash from self-described “traditional parents” because Griffin-Accurso featured a fellow musician and TikTok star named Jules Hoffman, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. Ms. Rachel announced on TikTok that she was going to take a break from the social media platform due to mental health reasons, and while she did not specifically explain what caused her mental health concerns, it was obvious that it came from the hateful pushback from these “traditional parents”. However, in spite of this “controversy”, Ms. Rachel, Hoffman, and their team have done great work in bringing positive representation to Ms. Rachel’s beloved show.
