Kansas City Billboards Confront Antisemitism with Uncomfortable Message
Pink billboards with an uncomfortable message are stopping Kansas City drivers in their tracks this week.
“We’re just 80 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out Jew hate isn’t an overreaction,” reads one of the stark messages now visible along I-35.
It’s part of a new campaign that doesn’t shy away from confronting antisemitism head-on. Seven billboards scattered across Kansas City’s highways carry similar messages, including “You don’t have to be a Jew to protect Jews” and “Standing against antisemitism is standing with America.”
Perfect timing
The timing couldn’t be more relevant. Last year, antisemitic incidents surge up by 500%, according to the Jewish Community Relations Bureau. Just last month, someone scrawled hate-filled graffiti in a local park – a grim reminder that the problem isn’t going away.
“The Jewish community is only 2% of the entire country, so we need to work extra hard to break through to the wider American public,” says JewBelong co-founder Archie Gottesman. “We are up against some of the worst antisemitism of our lifetime. It’s outrageous and wouldn’t be tolerated if it was another marginalized community being treated like this.”
The billboards, which will stay up through June, aren’t subtle. They’re painted in attention-grabbing pink and white, including one that reads: “Can a billboard end antisemitism? No. But you’re not a billboard.”
For many here, these messages hit close to home. Overland Park shootings at Jewish facilities still resonate. The campaign comes as antisemitism reaches alarming levels nationwide – record breaking incidents were recorded in any single year period since the ADL started tracking in 1979.
JewBelong’s seven billboards, positioned along major intersections near I-70, I-35, and I-29, are expected to reach an estimated 35.4 million viewers over the next three months. The campaign represents part of JewBelong’s broader national effort, which has included nearly 800 billboards across the country.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
