New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani named educator and YouTube star Ms. Rachel to his inauguration committee on Wednesday, elevating the children’s content creator and frequent lightning rod for conservative backlash into a high-profile role ahead of his Jan. 1, 2026, swearing-in.
Mamdani’s transition team said the committee will help plan and host a free public inauguration block party, billed as a citywide celebration that reflects the coalition behind his election. The group includes artists, labor leaders, organizers, business figures, and several campaign field leads who worked on Mamdani’s run.
“I’m honored to be joined by some of the most creative and experienced minds in the city as we build an inauguration that is truly by and for New Yorkers,” Mamdani said in a statement.
Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, is best known for her “Songs for Littles” YouTube channel, which focuses on early language development and has drawn a massive following among parents of young children. Her inclusion on the inaugural committee also brings renewed attention to criticisms she has faced over her public advocacy related to the Israel-Hamas war.
Accurso’s advocacy on behalf of children in Gaza has prompted some supporters of Israel to accuse her of showing greater sympathy toward Palestinian children than Israeli children, including those abducted during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The advocacy group StopAntisemitism later named Accurso a finalist for its “Antisemite of the Year” designation. The group also sent a letter urging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Accurso has received funding to advance the agenda of Hamas.
Accurso has not been charged with any wrongdoing and has previously rejected accusations of antisemitism.
The inaugural committee also includes actress and activist Cynthia Nixon, novelists Colson Whitehead and Min Jin Lee, musicians Sonny Rollins and John Turturro, comedian The Kid Mero, and representatives from labor unions and community organizations across the city.
NYC MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI TO BE SWORN IN BY BERNIE SANDERS AND LETITIA JAMES
Earlier this week, Mamdani’s transition team announced that he will be sworn into office by New York Attorney General Letitia James, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also participating in the ceremony. The inauguration block party is free and open to the public, though space is limited, and attendees must RSVP through the transition website.
Full Inaugural Committee list
- Alicé Nascimento – New York Communities for Change
- Alvaro Lopez – NYC Democratic Socialists of America
- Ana Maria Archilla – NY Working Families Party
- Antonio Weiss – Investor and former Treasury Department official
- Aaron Eisenberg – United Auto Workers Region 9A
- Arsh Raziuddin – Creative director
- ATM Kamrul Hasan – Brother of late New York City Police Department Detective Didarul Islam
- Aziz Isham – Museum of the Moving Image
- Beth Miller – Jewish Voice for Peace
- Ceyenne Doroshow – Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society
- Christian Howles – Zohran for NYC Field Lead, Staten Island
- Cole Escola – Playwright
- Colson Whitehead – Novelist
- Cynthia Nixon – Actress and activist
- Dena Cox – Zohran for NYC Field Lead, Brooklyn
- Gerald Karp
- Joe Baker – Lenape Center
- John Turturro – Actor and filmmaker
- Joynal Abedin – Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group
- Julio Torres – Comedian and filmmaker
- Kal Penn – Actor and author
- Kashif Shaikh – Pillars Fund
- Katia Reguero Lindor – The Unaparent Podcast
- Laura Lema – Zohran for NYC Field Lead, the Bronx
- Luis Guzman – Actor and producer
- Marc N. Weiss
- Maria Antonia Cay (Toñita) – Caribbean Social Club
- Matt Balfour – International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 161 and Actors’ Equity Association
- Mike Luba – Forest Hills Stadium
- Min Jin Lee – Novelist
- Ms. Rachel – Educator and YouTuber
- Naseem Haffar
- Nicholas Occhiouto – Zohran for NYC Field Lead, Manhattan
- Patrick Gaspard – Senior fellow at the Center for American Progress
- Phylisa Wisdom – New York Jewish Agenda
- Priya Parker – Author and facilitator
- Rami Sarafa – Cordoba Partners
- Robert Wolf – 32 Advisors
- Rochelle Lin – CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities
- Sally Susman – Businesswoman and author of Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World
- Sami Zaman – Sami’s Kabab House
- Sara’o Bery – Filmworker and strategist
- Shazia Choudri – Beyond Barzakh and Vagabond Media
- Sherry Padilla – Desis Rising Up & Moving
- Sonny Rollins – Saxophonist and jazz musician
- Stephanie Gold
- The Kid Mero – Writer and comedian
- Umit Muradi – Zohran for NYC Field Lead, Queens