STURGIS, S.D. – The start of the 85th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally out in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota is just a little over a week away, and as the rally begins to rev up, so are a series of “anti-hate” messages on billboards in and around the Sturgis rally area.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in South Dakota, there is a worrying upward trend in antisemitic acts. In response to these trends, former South Dakota Governor Noem signed a bill in 2024 that requires law enforcement to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when investigating anti-Jewish hate crimes. This legislation aims to provide a clear definition to help combat discriminatory conduct motivated by antisemitism in the state.
And now, there are billboards. The message promotes a theme of “What’s more American than your bike? Standing up to hate. Let’s ride.”
The slogan can be found in a series of pink and white billboards on roads leading into and out of Sturgis; a South Dakota community that has achieved legendary status over the years for hosting the nation’s largest gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts.
Neo-Nazi and white supremacist messaging and merchandise, including Nazi imagery and Confederte flags are on ready display at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Jenny Alonso, a vendor, defended the sale of such items, stating that she caters to bikers who want to voice their opinions. She also suggested that Nazi merchandise could honor US soldiers who brought back Nazi memorabilia as trophies from World War II.
With the growing wave of antisemitism sweeping the nation, Archie Gottesman, the co-founder of “JewBelong” decided to help create a more positive message to help spark discussions about how to put an end to the growing problem of antisemitism.
According to Gottesman, antisemitism comes in many different forms. The whole subject is extremely polarizing, he says.
“Sometimes it comes in the form of people saying ‘We hate Israel’ and sometimes it comes in the form of people saying ‘Hitler was right’ and there are swastikas and things like that, so it can be very polarizing,” said Gottesman.
Recent data shows that antisemitism is up a staggering 344 percent in the country over the past 5 years, yet only 2 percent of the United States is Jewish.
The JewBelong campaign is designed to help raise awareness by utilizing a combination of billboards, billboard trucks, and a strong social media presence to confront the problem of antisemitism gripping not only the nation but the entire world right now.
