People For President Svante Myrick discusses far right responses to inclusive children's programs in this op-ed for The Hill.
If you’re reading this, you are likely at least four years old. If you are indeed older than a toddler — and you don’t have a toddler in your life — you may not be familiar with the cultural phenomenon that is Ms. Rachel.
Ms. Rachel, aka Rachel Accurso, produces educational videos for toddlers that rack up hundreds of millions of views. Her channel has some 6 billion (that’s not a typo) views overall. The toddler in my life is a huge fan; he loves Ms. Rachel and considers her an authority on all things alphabet, colors and numbers.
Her videos are sweet and inclusive. They feature a nonbinary character who regularly appears. For Pride Month this year, Ms. Rachel offered a soft-spoken online greeting to viewers, telling them, “I’m so glad you’re exactly who you are.”
And the far right promptly went ballistic.
Conservative activist Matt Walsh, who does this a lot, demanded a boycott of Ms. Rachel. Trolls came out of the woodwork to blast her for her message.
It was alarming to see such vicious attacks on a woman whose mission is to enrich the lives of little kids. But it was hard to be too surprised. We know how toxic the discourse around people and their differences has become, and we know why.
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