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.

The message promotes a theme of "What's more American than your bike? Standing up to hate. Let's ride."

Dakota News Now is reporting that 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 in early August since 1938.

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According to Dakota News Now, in years past, there have been vendors at the rally who have sold questionable Nazi-themed merchandise. 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 we can put an end to the growing problem of antisemitism.

Recent data shows that antisemitism is up a staggering 344 percent in the country over the past 5 years, and only 2 percent of the United States is Jewish.

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According to Gottesman, antisemitism comes in many different forms. The whole subject is extremely polarizing.

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.

You can learn more about JewBelong and their mission here.

Source: Dakota News Now

5 Things South Dakota Gave the World

South Dakota may not get much respect. We get a blizzard and it's a footnote on the national scene, but if Florida gets a bit chilly it's breaking news. But, maybe it's fine to be forgotten about. We kind of like being left alone on our quiet piece of the plains.

South Dakota has given a lot to the world though. Not just giant mountain carvings and settings for HBO shows, but awesome things that the rest of the world should thank us for.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns